A brief update from our colleague Shokh Mohammad about the situation in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan after a two week ceasefire was declared between the US and Iran.
(Picture: Bazar in Suleymaniah, Source: Wadi)
People in Iraq, especially in the Kurdistan Region, have always carried a certain resilience, but lately it is being tested every single day. Iraq has never really known lasting stability, yet Kurdistan had managed to hold on to a sense of calm for years. That sense of safety now feels fragile, slowly being replaced by uncertainty and a quiet, constant fear.
On the 5th of April, a drone attack hit Sulaymaniyah’s city center, on Bakhtayari Street. The damage was immediate and deeply unsettling. A house was reduced to rubble, cars were burned, and people were left injured and shaken. What affected many most was not just the destruction itself, but how close it was. It made the war feel no longer distant or abstract, but present, right in the middle of everyday life. Since then, anxiety has been harder to ignore. People find themselves thinking more about what could happen next, and how quickly things can change.
On Tuesday, the 7th of April, sleep did not come easily. Many stayed awake, following the news and waiting for updates that might shift everything overnight. That kind of tension does not disappear quickly, it lingers, even after the moment passes.
When news of a ceasefire came, it brought a brief sense of relief, even if only temporary. Not everyone trusted it would hold, but still, people tried to return to normal. Shops reopened, markets filled again, and families stepped back into their routines. Over the weekend, some even went out to the fields, holding on to small pieces of normal life.
At the same time, daily life has had to adjust. Online schooling became part of that adjustment, far from ideal for students, parents, and teachers, but something people accepted because there was little alternative. Our work also continued from home, with meetings and briefings taking place remotely.
Now, with reports suggesting that no real agreement has been secured, the fear is beginning to creep back. People worry that the fighting could return, possibly worse than before. Meanwhile, prices continue to rise—gas, oil, and food are becoming more expensive, while wages remain uncertain. This economic pressure has added another layer of strain, both mentally and financially. People have become more hesitant, trying to avoid spending on anything beyond basic necessities. Iraqi oil exports have dropped by 80% in March, which is significant, because unfortunately Iraq’s ecomnomy is totally dependent on oil.
In the camps, this pressure is even heavier. The mental and economic burden has doubled for communities who were already living in difficult conditions, with limited access to services such as healthcare and social support, and very few CSOs or NGOs operating there.
At the same time, the question of possible displacement of Iranian Kurdish communities remains. Authorities in the KRG are closely monitoring border movements. WADI and its local partners remain ready to respond should any displacement occur.
Wadi 
