A small appliance repairman gives a big lift to fellow Syrians in Iraq

The United Nations refugee agency recently reported that money was running out to help the nearly 100,000 Syrians still living in camps in Iraqi Kurdistan. But one resident of the Barika refugee camp in Sulaymaniyah governorate is modeling self-help as the way forward for his community. Cameran Ismail uses a small room in his house eight kilometers west of Sulaymaniyah to repair household appliances on a volunteer basis. He says it is a humanitarian gesture, mainly for widows and the elderly, and told A24 News that he’s called to do it for free- despite his own poor living conditions. Iraq hosts nearly 260,000 Syrian refugees, most of whom are based in the Kurdistan Region. Last month, the World Food Program warned that 86 percent of people in the camps are now vulnerable to food insecurity. Cameran’s charity allows his neighbors to save a few more dinars to buy bread or rice.