BCF Assists 300 Displaced Families and Orphans in Western Kurdistan
The Barzani Charity Foundation provided food and school supplies to 300 displaced families and orphans in Syria's Afrin region, continuing humanitarian operations that have assisted over 770,000 people in Western Kurdistan since 2013.
Erbil (Kurdistan 24) – The Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) has continued its humanitarian operations in Western Kurdistan (Norther Syria), delivering urgent food assistance and school supplies to displaced families and vulnerable children in Afrin over the past two days.
According to information from Afrin, BCF—working in partnership with the humanitarian organization Khalsa Aid and in coordination with the Afrin Administration of Social Affairs—distributed food baskets and hygiene items on Thursday to 200 returning families inside Afrin city center. These families had recently returned to their homes and properties after prolonged displacement.
A day earlier, on Wednesday, the Foundation launched another project in cooperation with the Azar Foundation for Children of the World. During this campaign, school bags, stationery supplies, and clothing were provided to 100 orphaned children in Afrin as part of BCF’s broader plan to support 250 orphans along the Afrin border region.
BCF was the first humanitarian organization to enter Afrin following the devastating February 2023 earthquake. Since then, it has maintained a continuous presence, providing wide-ranging assistance and medical services to residents across the region.
During a special conference held in Erbil under the theme “We Stand by You, Always,” BCF announced that more than 770,000 individuals in Western Kurdistan have benefited from its humanitarian programs since 2013.
BCF President Musa Ahmed emphasized that the Foundation’s first aid convoy to Western Kurdistan was dispatched in 2013 under the directive of President Masoud Barzani. “Backed by the Kurdistan Regional Government, we have consistently reached every region in Western Kurdistan in need of humanitarian assistance—and we will continue to do so,” he affirmed.
The Foundation reported that 127,390 families—a total of 770,879 individuals—have received aid through 23 major projects, which included:
-1,560 tons of medicine
-3,025 tons of food supplies
-430 tons of essential items
Delivery was carried out through 391 humanitarian convoys valued at $7,363,412 USD.
Regional Distribution of Aid
-Hesake & Qamishlo: 194,588 beneficiaries
-Afrin: 209,451 beneficiaries
-Kobani: 366,840 beneficiaries
Over the past twelve years, BCF has supported education, development programs, healthcare, sanitation, water and wastewater services, food security, shelter, and direct assistance for people affected by conflict and displacement.
Rawaj Haji, Member of the Board of Directors and Head of Human Resources at BCF, highlighted a dramatic demographic recovery in Afrin due to BCF’s sustained intervention.
Haji explained that prior to 2011, Kurds represented more than 98% of Afrin’s population, with 550,000 people recorded in the census. By 2023, following years of conflict and forced displacement, the Kurdish population had fallen to 150,000, around 30% of the region.
However, after BCF’s post-earthquake humanitarian and educational operations, Afrin experienced a significant Kurdish return. “The Kurdish population has now surpassed 400,000, representing more than 70% of the area’s inhabitants,” Haji said.
Since 2023, BCF has assisted 222,000 individuals—equivalent to 38,000 families—through large-scale food distributions, medical campaigns, and targeted support programs. Mobile medical teams have provided healthcare across 235 villages, while 192 vulnerable people have received financial aid. Additionally, 200 orphans continue to receive ongoing assistance.
BCF has funded 125 students at the University of Azaz and provides long-term financial support to 58 Kurdish-language teachers in Afrin, helping preserve Kurdish linguistic and cultural identity.
Beyond Syria, BCF has supported refugees from Western Kurdistan living in the Kurdistan Region. Outside the camps, 33,969 families (169,447 individuals) received assistance, while 17,623 families (81,260 individuals) inside the camps benefited from BCF programs.
Through sustained humanitarian engagement and comprehensive social support initiatives, the Barzani Charity Foundation remains one of the most active and impactful organizations serving Kurdish communities in Afrin and across Western Kurdistan.
