9/26/2024 Iraq (International Christian Concern) — After working in an emergency department for several years, Waleed opened his own medical clinic in Qaraqosh, Iraq. The clinic had been a dream of his since he survived the bombing of a bus he was on in 2010.  

Waleed’s hopes for the clinic quickly vanished as the Islamic State group (ISIS) invaded his predominantly Christian town in August 2014. Waleed, his pregnant wife, and their young son joined the thousands of Qaraqosh residents who fled the Islamic extremist group’s violence.  

“My wife asked me, ‘Where do we go while I’m pregnant?’ I told her, ‘We have a God who will help us with everything,’” Waleed recalled. 

Waleed and his family found refuge in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. After his wife gave birth to their daughter, Waleed started providing medical care to others who had been displaced. He returned to Qaraqosh in 2018 after the city was liberated, becoming the first to reopen a medical clinic amid the destruction. Despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, Waleed continued to care for his community.  

Tragedy struck again on Sept.26, 2023, when a fire erupted at a local wedding hall. Waleed rushed to the scene, witnessing unimaginable horror as he and his team worked tirelessly to save and treat the injured. During the next two months, his clinic provided free medical care, relying on community support for supplies.  

Waleed has since partnered with International Christian Concern to expand his clinic to better serve his community, driven by his ongoing commitment to care for those in need.  

“In serving others,” Waleed said, “we reflect God’s love and grace in the world.” 

Waleed expressed his heartfelt thanks to ICC and its supporters for the support he received for his clinic. 

“Thank you very much for standing by me in developing my clinic,” he said. “Your organization is well-known in Qaraqosh.”  

He added that the improvements ICC helped him make to his clinic have allowed him to do more to help members of his community. 

“Previously, patients had to stand because I did not have good chairs,” he said. “Now I have a medical three-seater chair for them to sit on. I have an oxygen machine, a nebulizer, a blood pressure monitor, and all the necessary equipment. I will continue treating and helping people.” 

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