Harikar Launches Protection Monitoring Exercise to Strengthen Protection Response for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers
Listening to Communities. Advancing Protection.
By Araz Tayib - Project Manager in Duhok Governorate | July, 2026 | English
Participant 1
Harikar NGO has officially launched a Protection Monitoring exercise in Duhok Governorate and Zakho Independent Administration as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen protection services for refugees and asylum-seekers. Implemented in partnership with UNHCR, the initiative aims to enhance understanding of the evolving protection environment and ensure that humanitarian responses remain responsive to the needs of affected communities.
Protection Monitoring is a systematic process of engaging directly with refugees and asylum-seekers to identify protection risks, understand their priorities and concerns, and assess access to services. Through household interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, Harikar's trained monitoring team will gather information that contributes to evidence-based protection analysis and informed humanitarian planning.
Prior to the launch of field activities, Harikar completed the recruitment and training of the monitoring team and conducted practical exercises to strengthen data collection skills and ensure the consistent application of monitoring tools. These preparations support the delivery of high-quality and ethical protection monitoring while promoting respectful and confidential engagement with communities.
Beyond collecting information, the exercise provides an important opportunity to engage directly with refugees and asylum-seekers, listen to their perspectives, and identify individuals and families who may require protection support or referrals to available services. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of emerging protection trends and help inform future protection programming and coordination efforts.
"Protection monitoring is about listening to communities and ensuring that their voices help shape humanitarian action. By engaging directly with refugees and asylum-seekers, we can better understand the challenges they face and contribute to more responsive and evidence-based protection interventions."
Harikar remains committed to promoting the protection, dignity, and rights of refugees and asylum-seekers through community engagement, evidence-based programming, and close collaboration with UNHCR and relevant stakeholders.
