The cooperation between the Barzani Charity Foundation and Norway’s MAIN (Medical Aid Initiative Norway) began in 2021. To date, more than 200 tons of medicines, medical equipment, and healthcare supplies have been provided to the healthcare sector in the Kurdistan Region.
Barzani Charity Foundation and Healthcare Assistance
The Barzani Charity Foundation was established in Erbil in 2005 as a non-governmental, non-political, and non-profit organization. The Foundation works primarily in the fields of humanitarian assistance, support for internally displaced people and refugees, assistance to low-income and vulnerable families, and healthcare.
Over the past years, healthcare has become one of the Foundation’s key areas of activity. Through the provision of medicines, medical equipment and supplies, as well as cooperation with hospitals and healthcare centers, the Foundation has implemented significant healthcare projects and activities both within and outside the Kurdistan Region.
Norway’s MAIN
MAIN (Medical Aid Initiative Norway) is a humanitarian organization whose activities focus on providing and delivering medical assistance, including medicines, medical equipment, and healthcare supplies. As part of its international humanitarian activities, MAIN provides medical assistance to areas in need.
Cooperation Between BCF and MAIN
The cooperation between the two organizations began in 2021. Within the framework of this partnership, substantial quantities of medicines, medical equipment, and healthcare supplies have been provided to the healthcare sector in the Kurdistan Region.
By 2024, more than 100 tons of medicines and medical supplies had been provided, benefiting more than 150,000 patients. The assistance included essential medicines and medical supplies, particularly for chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and hypertension, as well as specialized and rare medicines that were not readily available in the local market.
On May 6, 2024, the Barzani Charity Foundation and MAIN signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to continue their healthcare cooperation. The renewed partnership aimed to maintain the provision of medicines and medical supplies and support the healthcare sector in the Kurdistan Region.
Importance of the Partnership and Joint Efforts
The significance of this medical partnership lies in the ability of the Barzani Charity Foundation and MAIN to deliver specialized and rare medicines to the healthcare sector, particularly medications that are essential for the continued treatment and well-being of patients.
Overall, the partnership represents an important example of international humanitarian cooperation, through which the combined efforts of the Barzani Charity Foundation and Norway’s MAIN have enabled essential medical assistance and medicines to reach thousands of patients.
In 2022, the Kurdistan Regional Government also officially highlighted the ongoing cooperation between MAIN and BCF and their plans to support the healthcare system in the Kurdistan Region. According to the same Kurdistan Regional Government source, the cooperation was initially planned for a period of five years, with medicines and medical supplies valued at more than USD 30 million.
More Than 100 Tons of Medicines and Medical Supplies Provided
At the meeting held on May 6, 2024, to renew the Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations, it was announced that during the first three years of their cooperation, more than 100 tons of medicines and medical supplies had been provided, benefiting more than 150,000 patients.
These figures demonstrate not only the scale of the partnership but also how cooperation between humanitarian organizations can have a direct impact on patients’ lives.
Medication for Cancer, Diabetes, and Hypertension Patients
The President of the Barzani Charity Foundation noted that some of the medicines provided were high-quality and rare medications used in the treatment of cancer, diabetes, and hypertension, particularly for patients who often require continuous and long-term medication.
He emphasized that such assistance is especially important for patients for whom the unavailability or high cost of medication can contribute to the worsening and prolongation of their illnesses and place their overall well-being at risk.
On May 6, 2024, the Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) and Norway’s MAIN signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to continue their cooperation in the healthcare sector. Representatives of both sides, along with the Minister of Health of the Kurdistan Regional Government, attended the meeting.
On the same day, His Excellency Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, met with Geir Fjeld, MAIN’s official responsible for international affairs. The meeting was also attended by a representative of the Barzani Charity Foundation. Discussions focused on expanding humanitarian and healthcare cooperation, while MAIN reaffirmed its commitment to continuing the delivery of humanitarian and medical assistance to the Kurdistan Region.
The Role of the Barzani Charity Foundation
The role of the Barzani Charity Foundation has extended beyond simply receiving medicines and medical supplies. Through its humanitarian network and coordination mechanisms, the Foundation has also played a significant role in facilitating the delivery and distribution of healthcare assistance to the locations and institutions where it is most needed.
MAIN’s 2021 report indicates that the Barzani Charity Foundation contributed to the distribution of medicines and medical equipment, as well as coordinating certain deliveries of humanitarian assistance across borders.
Healthcare: A Key Area of the Barzani Charity Foundation’s Work
The provision of medicines by the Barzani Charity Foundation and its partners is not limited to cooperation with MAIN. The Foundation has undertaken significant activities in the healthcare sector, including the provision of medicines and medical equipment, support for hospitals and healthcare centers, and the delivery of healthcare services.
For example, in 2022, two healthcare centers operated by the Foundation in the Khazir and Hassan Sham camps provided medical consultations, examinations, laboratory testing, and medicines. A total of 60,513 patients benefited from the services provided by these centers.
Similarly, in 2025, the Barzani Charity Foundation recorded 314,573 beneficiaries in the healthcare sector, making healthcare one of the Foundation’s major areas of activity.
BCF and MAIN: Continuing Joint Efforts
The cooperation between BCF and MAIN provides a clear example of how a local humanitarian organization and an international institution can combine their capacities to deliver medicines and healthcare services to people who are most in need.
On one side, MAIN provides medicines and medical equipment through its network. On the other, the Barzani Charity Foundation facilitates the delivery of this assistance to beneficiaries through its logistical capacity, coordination network, and experience working across different areas.
Ultimately, this partnership is about more than the provision of medicines. It represents a joint effort to help protect lives, support patients, and strengthen the healthcare sector of the Kurdistan Region.
As part of the Barzani Charity Foundation’s ongoing humanitarian and healthcare efforts, in cooperation with Norway’s MAIN, a press conference was held on September 7, 2026, at the administration of Nanakali Hospital in Erbil to announce the arrival of a quantity of specialized and rare medicines for cancer patients. The initiative represents part of the ongoing healthcare partnership between the Barzani Charity Foundation and MAIN, with the aim of supporting patients and providing essential medicines.
The arrival of Lenalidomide 15mg–20mg in the Kurdistan Region is significant because the medicine is used in the treatment of certain types of cancer and had been unavailable for a period of time at specialized cancer hospitals and centers in the Kurdistan Region.
Through the Kurdistan Regional Medical Cooperation Project, with the support of the Barzani Charity Foundation and MAIN, a total of 953 packages of the medicine arrived in the Kurdistan Region and were distributed as follows:
Erbil: 388 packages
Duhok: 365 packages
Sulaymaniyah: 200 packages
Each package contains 21 tablets and has an approximate value of IQD 6 million.
Accordingly, the provision of this medicine represents significant pharmaceutical assistance for patients who require specialized and continued treatment.
At the press conference held on September 7, 2026, Dr. Hardy Jawad Saber, Director of Nanakali Hospital, expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the Barzani Charity Foundation and highlighted the importance of providing essential medicines to cancer patients.
Dr. Lazgin Jamil, Director of Norway’s MAIN in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, also spoke about the ongoing cooperation between MAIN and the Barzani Charity Foundation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining and further strengthening this humanitarian and healthcare partnership.
Dr. Abbas Azad, Head of the Health Unit at the Barzani Charity Foundation, expressed his appreciation for the valuable and much-needed assistance provided by MAIN. He highlighted the importance of ensuring the availability of specialized medicines of this kind and stressed the need to give greater attention to public awareness and preventive measures aimed at reducing the risk of disease.
In this context, Dr. Abbas Azad also referred to a broad joint awareness campaign launched by the Barzani Charity Foundation and Soran University, aimed at raising community awareness and promoting greater attention to disease prevention.
The press conference was attended by Farzin Begzada, Supervisor of the Media, Communications and Legal Department of the Barzani Charity Foundation; Stav Aso, Director of the Foundation’s Erbil Office; and Dr. Abbas Azad, Head of the Foundation’s Health Unit.
The cooperation between the Barzani Charity Foundation and MAIN is not limited to the provision of a single type of medicine. Over the course of several years, it has developed into an ongoing process of providing medicines and medical supplies while supporting patients and healthcare institutions.
From a humanitarian perspective, this partnership holds particular significance. For a patient requiring long-term treatment, access to medication is not merely a medical necessity; it is directly connected to the continuity of treatment and the preservation of life.
This cooperation also demonstrates the capacity of humanitarian partnerships to transform numbers and data into a direct impact on people’s lives. Behind every package of medicine is a patient waiting for their treatment to continue, and behind every act of assistance is an effort to reduce suffering and preserve hope for life.
By continuing this partnership, the Barzani Charity Foundation and MAIN are working to ensure that healthcare assistance reaches those who need it most, so that medicine can help sustain lives and humanitarian cooperation can serve as a bridge for bringing greater hope to patients.
