1st exploratory mission of La Chaîne de l’Espoir in the province of Sinjar in Iraq

It was made up of the French Ambassador to Iraq, Mr Bruno Aubert, representatives of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Crisis and Support Center (CDCS), Dr Eric Cheysson, President of La Chaîne de l’Espoir, and Mr Marc Wautier, Director of La Chaîne de l’Espoir’s hospital department.

Working in close collaboration with the French government and the Iraqi authorities, the aim of this mission was to take stock of the current situation with a view to building a general hospital facility, with the emphasis on the mother-child dimension.

The lack of health facilities in the partially destroyed town of Sinjar is an obstacle to the return of the Yezidi population. La Chaîne de l’Espoir was asked by the CDCS of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nadia’s initiative (the foundation of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner) to assess the feasibility of the project, given its expertise in hospital construction and its previous actions in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Nadia Murad, winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, is a survivor of the Yezidi genocide. She escaped sexual slavery imposed by the Islamic State (or Daech) in 2014. Aged 23, she testified before the United Nations Security Council and was appointed on September 16, 2016 as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.

La Chaîne de l’Espoir maintains a relationship of trust with the CDCS. For over three years, it has been contributing its expertise to healthcare programs aimed at helping vulnerable populations and strengthening medical and surgical capacities in this region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

La Chaîne de l’Espoir is an international NGO founded in 1994 and present in nearly 30 countries. Its mission is to strengthen healthcare systems to give everyone, especially children, the same chances of survival and development.