The University of Human Development launched a campaign to raise funds for the Syrian Kurds more than a month ago. The campaign was held under the banner of support and solidarity for our brothers and sisters in Rojava and inaugurated on 29 January 2026.

At the opening ceremony, the UHD president, Professor Dr Mariwan Ahmed Rasheed, stated: ‘We are here together – our dear students, university employees, lecturers, and all of us – to contribute to the relief efforts and make this campaign a success.’

The aid was largely money collected from donors for the Kurds in Syria who were affected by the recent conflicts. During the recent conflicts in the northeast of Syria, also known as 'Rojava' by the Kurdish communities, many families and individuals were displaced and became desperate for food and medicine. The money collected by UHD was part of a nationwide donation by governmental and non-governmental institutions and organisations, as well as individuals in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, to support the victims of the war in Syria.

Over a month, a substantial amount of money was collected and delivered to the people in need. UHD has independently launched but also joined many relief efforts before; nationalistic sentiments and a feeling of closeness to the affected people in Syria added to the enthusiasm for the recent donation.