Sulaymaniyah orphanage houses 65 children of varied backgrounds, director says

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — A state-run orphanage in Sulaymaniyah is sheltering 65 children of different ages and ethnicities who have been separated from their families due to loss, divorce or social problems, the facility's director, Jiyar Celal, said. Celal said the home accepts children from infancy to age 18 and organizes them into five sections by age and gender. Beyond housing and meals, the facility offers educational and social programs led by specialized staff aimed at helping the children integrate into society as independent individuals. Administrators said some of the children lack official identity documents and that legal proceedings are underway with volunteer lawyers in Baghdad and Sulaymaniyah to resolve their cases. The residents include Kurdish and Arab children, some of whom have lost both parents and others only one. Officials cited family disputes, divorces and children born outside marriage as the main factors driving rising admissions. Social workers have called for stronger foster-family support programs, wider access to counseling and tighter legal protections for children's identity and lineage rights.