Latest news with #Kolbar
Shafaq News
18 hours ago
- Health
- Shafaq News
Rwanga Foundation rescues ailing Erbil Kolbar with furnished house
Shafaq News – Erbil The Rwanga Foundation in Erbil has donated a fully furnished home to a young Kolbar* suffering from kidney disease, honoring his resilience and daily struggle to support his family amid severe economic and health challenges. In a statement on Friday, the foundation said its team, under the direction of its President Idris Nechirvan Barzani, visited Aland Hamid Rashid, a young man whose story went viral this week after he appeared in a video speaking about the high cost of living and his fight against illness. Despite suffering from a serious kidney condition, Rashid works from 7 am until nightfall, earning just 5,000 Iraqi dinars (about $4) per day to help provide for his family. The foundation described Rashid as a symbol of 'hope, dignity, and strength,' and said the gift of a home reflects Rwanga's broader mission to support vulnerable Iraqis facing extreme hardship. 'This initiative embodies our core values of compassion, solidarity, and empowerment,' Rwanga said in its statement, reaffirming its commitment to uplifting individuals who demonstrate courage and perseverance in the face of adversity. Rwanga, a non-governmental organization based in Erbil, has been active since September 2013 and operates across Iraq in four main sectors: education, youth, environment, and vulnerable communities.
Iraqi News
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Iraqi News
'All The Mountains Give': Poetic Kurdish Kolbar film hits London
Baghdad ( – Kurdish director Arash Raksha's debut feature, 'All That the Mountains Grant,' is garnering praise from The Guardian for its poetic style ahead of its London premiere on April 11th, 2025. The film provides an immersive look into the perilous lives of Kolbar, Kurdish porters smuggling goods across the Iran-Iraq border. Filmed over six years in the treacherous Zagros Mountains, the movie follows friends Hamid and Yasser, documenting their grueling work carrying heavy loads while facing constant threats from harsh terrain, border patrols, and deadly landmines left from the Iran-Iraq war – dangers claiming nearly 200 Kolbar lives yearly. The Guardian highlights Raksha's 'poetic cinematic style,' capturing both the somber beauty and immense risks. Despite the tension, the film reveals moments of warmth, friendship, and quiet resilience through scenes of family life, underscored by a poignant score from Aso Kohzadi and Michael Assian. This impactful debut offers a powerful, artistically rendered window into the Kolbar struggle, showcasing human endurance against overwhelming odds as it launches Raksha's voice onto the international stage.
Rudaw Net
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iranian border guards kill kolbar near Baneh: Watchdog
Also in Iran Newroz in Mahabad: A colorful display of Kurdish identity, resistance Iranian parliament says preparing to implement new hijab bill Iran committed to nuclear safeguards: Deputy FM Iran says will respond to Trump's letter after review A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A kolbar was killed by 'direct fire' from Iranian security forces near the Kurdish city of Baneh in western Iran on Thursday, a human rights watchdog reported. 'Sina Rostampour, a young Kolbar from Baneh, was killed by direct fire from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the border heights of that city' on the eve of Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, said the Oslo-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. Rostampour, a father of one, was 'shot in the chest' by Iranian security forces and 'died immediately,' according to Hengaw. Kolbars are semi-legal porters who transport untaxed goods across the Kurdistan Region-Iran border and sometimes the Iran-Turkey border. They are constantly targeted by Iranian border guards and are sometimes victims of natural disasters. Many kolbars are pushed into the profession by poverty and a lack of alternative employment, particularly in Iran's Kurdish provinces. Families of kolbars greatly suffer from attacks by Iranian border guards, as the transport of goods is often the household's primary source of income. At least 57 kolbars were killed by Iranian security forces in the border areas and 282 were injured in 2024, according to Hengaw's annual report.
