Kurdistan Organization for Human Rights Watch

What Kurdistan Organization for Human Rights Watch does

Kurdistan Organization for Human Rights Watch (KOHRW) is an independent, nonprofit, non-governmental organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in Ainkawa, Erbil, Iraq. The organization operates across six core program areas — Human Rights, Protection, Shelter, Livelihoods, Social Cohesion, and Education — serving displaced persons, refugees, returnees, women, youth, and civil society actors throughout Iraq. KOHRW maintains a national footprint of eight offices covering the Kurdistan Region plus the governorates of Baghdad, Ninewa, Diyala, Anbar, Kirkuk, Salahaddin, and Basrah.

The organization delivers programs through direct service implementation by field teams, supported by web-based information management and reporting systems that underpin initiatives such as Opening the Square (continuous bilingual monthly monitoring of peaceful assembly rights), Green NGO Initiative (sustainability operations), and major peacebuilding and livelihoods programs including Nabni (Sinjar and Daquq) and BIDAYA (Erbil, Duhok, Sulaymaniyah with Oxfam). KOHRW is recognized as the first Green NGO in Iraq and holds cooperative relationships with 25+ institutional partners including UNDP, UNHCR, IOM, UN Women, UNOPS, UNICEF, UNESCO, USAID, the EU, and the governments of the UK, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany (KfW/GIZ), and Sweden (Sida).

KOHRW's business model is donor-funded and project-cyclical: all revenue comes from grants and contributions from international donor agencies, bilateral governments, and UN entities; no fees are charged to beneficiaries. The organization employs between 11 and 50 staff, and financial information is not publicly disclosed. As a registered national NGO without shareholders, subsidiaries, or parent organization, KOHRW is governed internally and reinvests any surplus into program delivery.

Name

Kurdistan Organization for Human Rights Watch

Legal name

Kurdistan Organization for Human Rights Watch

Website

https://kohrw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KOHRW is an Iraqi nonprofit NGO founded in 1992, delivering human rights monitoring, protection, shelter, livelihoods, social cohesion, and education programs to displaced persons, refugees, women, and youth across eight Iraqi governorates through donor-funded grant programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Humanitarian and Human Rights Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Human rights monitoring
• Humanitarian assistance
• Displacement support
• Civil society strengthening
• Livelihoods programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Ankawa

HQ country

Iraq

HQ region

Middle East

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor-Funded Project Grants: KOHRW operates primarily through donor-funded humanitarian and development projects supported by international organizations, governments, and UN agencies. Revenue is project-based, cycle-driven, and dependent on continued grant applications and donor relationships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KOHRW is a nonprofit national NGO that delivers human rights monitoring, humanitarian protection, shelter rehabilitation, livelihoods, social cohesion, and education programs to displaced persons, refugees, returnees, women, youth, and civil society actors across Iraq. It implements these programs as a direct service provider and implementing partner for international donors and UN agencies through 8 field offices. Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and funded through grants from international organizations, governments, and UN agencies.

Product overview

KOHRW operates as a non-governmental organization offering a portfolio of interconnected human rights, protection, shelter, livelihoods, social cohesion, and education programs across Iraq. The organization's core offerings include human rights monitoring and documentation, the Opening the Square initiative for peaceful assembly protection, shelter rehabilitation for returnee communities, livelihoods programs (including Khotwa SME support and vocational training), social cohesion initiatives for displaced and returnee populations, advocacy and media strengthening, and environmental policy programs. Major current initiatives include the Nabni Building for Peace Programme focused on infrastructure rehabilitation in Sinjar and Daquq, and the BIDAYA Project delivering livelihoods interventions across multiple governorates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Human Rights Monitoring and Documentation KOHRW's core program focusing on monitoring, documenting, and reporting human rights violations across Iraq, including protest monitoring, activist protection, and rights advocacy for civil society and human rights defenders.
• Opening the Square A dedicated initiative to protect the right to peaceful assembly in Iraq, including training for lawyers, journalists, and activists, with regular reports and statements on assembly rights.
• Protection Programs

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, moderate and minor.

• International Organization for Migration (IOM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOM partnered with KOHRW on shelter rehabilitation projects including a project for 175 returnee war-damaged houses in Qaim/Rumanna, Anbar, implementing protection programs.
• UNICEF - Generation UnlimitedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKOHRW partners with UNICEF on the Generation Unlimited Imagen Youth Challenge in Iraq, supporting youth development initiatives.
• UNESCO - Erbil Citadel ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKOHRW collaborates with UNESCO on the Erbil Citadel preservation and development project in Iraq.
• OXFAMmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOXFAM collaborates with KOHRW on the BIDAYA Project for livelihoods and economic recovery in the Kurdistan Region.
• GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIZ supports development and capacity building programs implemented by KOHRW.
• United NationsAMI (UNAMI)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNAMI collaborates with KOHRW on human rights monitoring and advocacy in Iraq.
• Shamas NetworkmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerShamas Network partners with KOHRW on environmental and social policy programming.
• UNHABITATmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNHABITAT collaborates on urban development and habitat-related projects.
• ICNL (International Center for Not-for-Profit Law)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerICNL supports KOHRW's work on freedom of association and civil society strengthening.
• PADF (Pan American Development Foundation)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPADF collaborates on development and humanitarian programs.
• NPA (Norwegian People's Aid)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPA supports development and humanitarian programming.
• DAI (Development Alternatives Inc.)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAI collaborates on development projects and technical assistance.
• MGH (Medical Team)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMGH provides healthcare and medical support in humanitarian contexts.
• Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS)moderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKOHRW collaborates with MOYS on youth empowerment and sports programs.
• Oxfam - BIDAYA ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKOHRW serves as implementing partner for the BIDAYA Project in partnership with Oxfam, focusing on livelihoods and economic inclusion across Erbil, Duhok, and Sulaymaniyah governorates. The project includes MPCA, TVET, entrepreneurship support, MSME strengthening, apprenticeship, and job placement initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian organisation with strong Iraq footprint in livelihoods, peacebuilding, and youth programming. Comparable in mission overlap (BIDAYA/Nabni-style interventions) and donor mix.
• Relief International: International INGO with long-standing Iraq operations focused on livelihoods, protection, and recovery. Comparable geographic reach, beneficiary focus, and donor funding profile.
• Oxfam (Iraq Country Office): Large international INGO implementing livelihoods, protection, and humanitarian programming across Iraq, including KOHRW as partner. Comparable as major donor/funding channel and consortium lead, with overlapping beneficiary focus.
• ACTED Iraq: French-headquartered INGO with extensive Iraq programming in humanitarian assistance, recovery, and economic inclusion. Comparable as major implementing partner for UN/EU programming in Iraq.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Major US-based INGO with significant Iraq presence delivering protection, livelihoods, and women/girls programming. Comparable as large-scale, multi-donor humanitarian implementer in same governorates.

Direct peers

• Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI): Iraq-focused civil society support and human rights advocacy organisation. Directly comparable on human rights defenders, civic space, and capacity-building work.
• Hammurabi Human Rights Organization: Iraqi national NGO focused on human rights monitoring, documentation, and advocacy with broad geographic reach. Directly comparable to KOHRW in mission, beneficiary base, and donor-funded operational model in Iraq.
• Al-Mesalla Human Rights Organization: Iraq-based human rights NGO engaged in monitoring, advocacy, and civil society support. Comparable in mandate and operating geography to KOHRW.
• Iraqi Al-Amal Association: Iraqi national NGO delivering humanitarian assistance, livelihoods, and protection programming. Comparable donor-funded operating model and beneficiary focus on IDPs, returnees, and vulnerable communities.
• Asuda for Combating Violence against Women: Kurdistan-based NGO addressing gender-based violence, women's rights, and protection. Closely comparable in scope (protection, women/girls, advocacy) and Kurdistan-region operating geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KOHRW2
• Facebookfacebook.com/KOHRW.IRAQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kohrw-iraq
• Instagraminstagram.com/kohrw.iraq
• TikToktiktok.com/@kohrw_1989

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kurdistan Organization for Human Rights Watch