For the past ten years, 260,000 refugees from war-torn Syria have been living in cramped refugee camps in the neighbouring Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has now built a new village, with permanent homes to provide safety and security for these refugees.

The 3,000 people who will be moving into these new homes have lived in the Bardarash transition camp for several years. The vast majority are families with children.

We met two of these families while they were still living in their tents in Bardarash. Then we visited the same families after they had moved into their new homes in Galiwan to find out what difference the houses have made.

Since 2010, NRC has worked closely with UNHCR and authorities to support Syrian refugees and host communities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. As refugees mark 12 years away from home, we continue to provide safe and dignified shelters, access to education, legal assistance, and livelihoods opportunities to foster greater self-reliance.

We visited the Bardarash tented camp on a hot summer day in August. Here we met Haitham Nazir, 39, his wife and their six children. The family originally comes from Al Hasakih in Syria. They had to flee due to the hostilities in their home country. They have been living in a tent for the past four years.

Nazir describes life in Bardarash:

“The tents are vulnerable to harsh weather conditions, causing fear and discomfort, especially for my children. Winter brings challenges, with leaking ceilings during rainstorms. During dusty summer days, my 10-year-old son faces breathing difficulties.

“In the camp, there is a school, but unfortunately, we lack a healthcare centre. But we are fortunate to have reliable electricity and water supply.”

Nazir has already visited the construction site in Gawilan and seen the new houses:

“I am convinced that living in a house will be a significant improvement. A house offers cleanliness and stability, unlike a tent, which can never truly be clean, no matter how much effort we put into cleaning it.”

“My ultimate desire is to live with my family in a dignified manner,” says Walid. “We used to live in a modest mud house in Qamishli with a ceiling made of straw. The situation in my hometown became increasingly dangerous, with constant bombings and shelling. One day, when we found shrapnel in our yard, I made the difficult decision to flee with my family.”

Both the journey and the time living in displacement has been hard, but Walid is happy that his family is now safe.

“Safety is something money can't buy. It has become our most cherished possession.”

Walid, like Nazir, says that life in a tent is most challenging during winter storms. “Then we risk that our tent, which functions as a living room, guest room, bedroom, study, dining room and kitchen, will collapse. Living in these conditions takes a toll on us, both physically and mentally.”

But there is hope in sight.

“We have recently learnt that we can soon move into one of the new houses under construction in Gawilan,” says Walid. “The prospect of having a secure roof over our heads fills us with immense relief. No longer will we fear rain or storms. We will be safe inside our new home.”

When we visited Gawilan in August, we found a construction site filled with activity. Our colleagues were busy going through construction drawings and technical calculations.

NRC staff based at Gawilan camp play a pivotal role in supervising construction operations led by UNHCR. Their duties involve conducting thorough inspections to guarantee that each home meets the specified criteria and construction standards. They assess every facet of the work, with a focus on ensuring the overall integrity, safety, and functionality of the homes.

Solar panels provide the homes with electricity. The settlement has its own boreholes and each home has a water tank on the roof to ensure enough water for every household. In addition to houses, we are building a vegetable market, shops, schools and other public services.

In November, we visited the same two families again after they moved into their new homes in Gawilan.

Aziza Ahmed had just returned home from the shop, where she bought vegetables and other the ingredients that she needs for cooking dinner. We asked her how she would describe the family's new home.

“Home means a place where I can shelter and feel safe,” says Aziza. “I didn't feel that in a tent.

“In the tent, it was hard for the children to study so they dropped out. I care about my children’s education, it will help us have a better future.”

Aziza's 18-year-old daughter Lava nods and agrees with her mother.

“Last year, I was in grade 12, and we were still living in a tent. I couldn't study well, so I failed in two classes,” says Lava. “Now, I have a better place to focus and study, and can re-do this year’s class.

Support our work.

“When we lived in the tent I never felt completely safe, especially when I was alone,” Lava continues. “I was scared because anyone could easily break in; we had no door to lock. I had trouble sleeping because I always heard sounds of dogs and sometimes wolves. I used to worry that they might attack our tent at any moment.”

Lava is now thriving in the new house.

“I feel much safer now. I don't worry about a fire breaking out and the whole shelter catching fire. In the tent, there was nothing to lean our backs on; it was just fabric. Now, I can rest my back against the wall.”

“Since we are a big family, we were given two houses next to each other. So now we have four rooms, two kitchens, and two bathrooms. One room for my daughters, one for my sons, and one room for me and my wife,” says Nazir, inviting us into the family’s new home.

“The children are more comfortable now doing their homework in their rooms, unlike in Bardarash where we ate, slept, and watched TV all in the same tent.”

The new home is close to both schools and shops.

“We didn't have a playground for the children in Bardarash. They played inside the tent or on the street, which wasn't safe. There's a playground here in Gawilan where I take the children.”

Nazir says that his children's behaviour has changed for the better since moving into the new house.

“Even my youngest child, Rewan, who used to be grumpy most of the time, is much better now, and he definitely doesn't want to go back to living in a tent.”

After years of uncertainty and loss, the families who have recently moved in are busy making their new houses, homes.  Nazir is hoping to save enough money to build separating walls inside and concrete flooring and shading in the front yard.

Aziza brought with her the three cats they had in Bardarash.

“One cat had kittens here in Gawilan!” she says excitedly.

Support our work.