Shafaq News-Al-Anbar
A growingnumber of vulnerable Iraqi families are turning to social media and informalaid networks as rising medical costs and limited institutional support widengaps in access to urgent care, pushing grassroots initiatives into a centralrole in humanitarian response.
Civil andhuman rights activist Suleiman al-Kubaisi has been active in this field since2017, documenting cases of poor families, orphans, widows, and people withdisabilities, connecting them with donors through fieldwork and digitaloutreach.
“Socialmedia platforms have become the main infrastructure for this form of aid,functioning as both a space to document need and a mechanism to mobilizedonations,” he told Shafaq News, clarifying that the process typically beginson the ground, through home visits or direct messages from families in need.
Cases arethen verified and circulated online before being turned into fundraisingappeals designed to secure treatment costs, surgeries, or basic living expenses.
Over theyears, his initiatives have contributed to the distribution of more than 800electric and manual wheelchairs across Al-Anbar, Nineveh, Baghdad, Diyala,Saladin, Kirkuk, Basra, Dhi Qar, and Al-Qadisiyah. Hundreds of surgicalprocedures for critically ill patients have also been supported through thesame network.
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Beyondmedical assistance, the work includes monthly food distributions, sponsorshipof struggling families, and housing renovation and reconstruction projects fordisplaced and low-income households.
“Fundingremains largely dependent on individual donations within Iraq and onlinecrowdfunding campaigns,” he remarked, citing that in some cases, support camefrom Iraqi officials or political entities.
Medicalexpenses, however, often exceed what can be raised. In several cases,fundraising campaigns fall short, resulting in delayed treatment or incompletecoverage, particularly for complex surgical procedures.
“There arecases where fundraising does not cover the full cost,” al-Kubaisi explained,describing situations where patients are left waiting for additional support orforced to postpone care, leaving families in prolonged uncertainty.
Whileconcerns about transparency and long-term sustainability persist, thesegrassroots efforts continue to expand as demand for medical and social supportgrows. The result, he observed, is a ''fragmented but active relief system'' whereindividuals, digital platforms, and donor networks intersect to bridgepersistent gaps in care and assistance.
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