The Fund helps the the ‘Al Sikak’ and ‘Rumaila’ villages to the north of the field, the community of the Zubair district and Abu Sukhair and Al Khora village, close to the Qarmat Ali Water Treatment Plant.
Some of these communities are isolated, have high levels of unemployment and limited amenities. And because they are Rumaila‘s closest neighbours, we have prioritized the SWF‘s resources to help these people (although we also support initiatives in Basra).
Nothing is more important than health. To this end, the Fund has invested in significantly raising the quality of healthcare in the locality by improving access and availability to healthcare treatment, the quality of medical care and equipment, and the provision of vaccination and medicine.
This has been achieved by:
In addition, world-class equipment has been provided to local hospitals. This includes the first of its kind laparoscopic device for Zubair General Hospital (see press release here) and a world-class computed tomography (CT) scanner diagnostic tool for the Centre for Radiation Therapy at the Basra Al-Sadir Teaching Hospital (see press release here).
Following a request from the Health Directorate, thousands of medical supplies were delivered to the Basra Rehabilitation Centre for Physical Disabilities at the end of 2025. This new equipment is intended to support improved amenities and services for the beneficiaries, and help to improve their quality of life.
At the end of 2025 work began on a landmark project – the rehabilitation of the third floor of the Oncology Centre at Al-Sadr Teaching Hospital and the provision of medical equipment and devices. Once completed, the project is expected to significantly improve the quality of healthcare for cancer patients from Basra, as well as those from across southern Iraq – the centre is the only oncology treatment facility in Basra and the southern region of Iraq.
Schools in the area have been refurbished by ROO. Insulation, lighting, electrical wiring, paving and fencing facilities have been upgraded to provide a better teaching environment; female latrines were constructed to counter what had been identified as the main barrier to regular female school attendance.
In response to the growing demand for school desks in the Basra governorate, a new school desk workshop has been built and furnished under the Rumaila Social Welfare Fund. The workshop, which was completed and handed over to the Basra Directorate of Education (DoE) in early 2026, is expected to enable the DoE to manufacture new desks, as well as repair and reuse any damaged ones, providing a more long-term solution that help drive down costs and increase efficiency for years to come. This initiative will significantly enhance and improve the learning environment for more than a thousand schools in Basra.
The SWF-funded Women’s Training Centre in Al Khora village provides training for vulnerable women, most of whom are the main breadwinners for their families. Across the past eight years, more than 3,000 women have benefitted from the training provided by the centre. Many have gone on to set up their own community businesses (read more here).
These include:
