Rudaw Ramadan charity program houses 16 families, delivers aid across Kurdistan Region

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Rudaw’s Ramadan Berpirsyar program concluded with 16 families housed, nearly $110,000 donated, and cases highlighting urgent humanitarian needs across the Kurdistan Region.

A woman from Erbil who benefited from the program told Rudaw, “Only if I become an owner of my house, I don’t mind even if I die afterwards.”

She was among 16 families across the Region who received keys to a home through the initiative, a community-driven charity effort that concluded during the holy month after distributing more than $152,000 to vulnerable families.

The program, hosted by Rudaw’s Shahyan Tahseen and aired during Ramadan in February and March, documented the stories of individuals and families facing hardship, including lack of income, chronic illness, displacement, and unstable or absent shelter. Cases were matched with donors, with contributions tracked and reported in a final transparency report.

Beneficiaries included individuals requiring urgent medical treatment, widows and orphaned children without a breadwinner, displaced families, and households lacking stable shelter or basic furnishings. Many cases involved multiple hardships at once, such as illness, young children, no income, and unpaid rent.

Cases were identified in several areas, primarily in Erbil, as well as in the provinces of Sulaimani, Duhok, and Halabja.

Beyond purchasing 16 homes, the program covered rental costs for two households, distributed hundreds of food packages, and provided furniture, clothing - including traditional Kurdish dress for children - and medical supplies. At least one patient with a chronic illness received two years of medication coverage.

In total, 143,543,000 Iraqi dinars (nearly $110,000) and $43,000 were directly disbursed to beneficiaries. An additional 17 million dinars (nearly $13,000) was transferred through FIB bank, while a further 10 million dinars (about $7,600) was donated anonymously as zakat on behalf of beneficiary families.

Each case was documented with details including the beneficiary’s name - or kept anonymous upon request - address, specific needs, assistance received, and the contributing donor. Rudaw thanked the donors, both named and anonymous, and said it plans to continue the initiative in future Ramadan seasons.