Nearly six years after the liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State (IS), the horrors endured by the city’s residents remain engraved in every woman, man, and child who lived through the atrocities having been affected by their ruthless violence. As Saber*recounts his harrowing ordeal, he immediately reaches into his shirt pocket to retrieve his…
This week marks the eighteenth anniversary of the tragic passing of our founder, Marla Ruzicka. Remembering her bravery and compassion as well as honoring her legacy is even more special as Center for Civilians in Conflict turns 20 years old later this year. In 2003, Marla’s determination to address the needs of civilians living in…
By Federico Borello, CIVIC’s Executive Director Twenty years ago this month, on March 20, 2003, the United States launched its first airstrikes on Iraq. This marked the start of the US-led coalition’s invasion of Iraq and the long descent into the abyss for millions of Iraqis. This was also the start of our story. Center…
By Hajer Naili If time heals all wounds, it probably won’t heal those of Aziz & Farida* who lost two of their children to the Islamic State’s (IS) violence and cruelty. “They took away and killed my beloved children,” says Aziz, the father, with a quivering voice and tear-filled eyes when we met him and…
By Madison Hunke Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) was born in 2003 out of humanitarian and activist Marla Ruzicka’s conviction that the United States (US) military should acknowledge and assist the civilian victims of its military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today, as the US military remains engaged in counterterrorism operations across the…
The legacy of conflict in Iraq uniquely affects women in the region, who not only face general protection concerns resulting from years of fighting but are also exposed to gender-specific challenges.
In the past week, the Turkish Air Force (TAF) has conducted a series of missile strikes in Iraq as part of their renewed military campaign against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization by the Turkish government.
CIVIC started in 2003 when its founder Marla Ruzicka began going door to door in Iraq advocating for civilians that had been harmed during the conflict. Marla was killed in 2005 in an explosion in Baghdad, but her mission to protect and help civilians lives on today. In May 2019, Dropbox followed CIVIC team members…
Ali Al-Assaf is CIVIC’s Country Director in Iraq. Along with our Iraq team, Ali engages with civilians on a regular basis to learn about their protection concerns and thoughts on the security situation in their communities. Two years after the fall of the Islamic State in the historic city of Mosul, civilians have begun to…