About DirectAidIraq.org

DirectAidIraq.org is an independent publication about Iraq and the surrounding region. We write about Mesopotamian history and heritage sites, Iraqi culture and food, cities and travel, and, in a separate section, the long history of games of chance in the region. We also publish general, plain-language explainers on how humanitarian aid works.

What We Are Not

We are not a charity or an aid organisation. We do not deliver aid, we do not run projects, and we do not ask for, accept or collect donations of any kind. There are no bank details, payment links or appeals anywhere on this site, and there never will be. If anyone contacts you asking for money in our name, it is not us.

We are not affiliated with Direct Aid Iraq, the former organisation that used this web address until it ended its work at the end of 2009, nor with any other charity, NGO, government or company. We cannot pass on messages, documents or donations to that organisation or its former staff. This publication was started independently after the domain became available.

How We Write

• We rely on published scholarship, museum and heritage records, and official sources.
• Where a figure cannot be checked, we say so or leave it out. We prefer "around" or "more than" to false precision.
• We do not publish personal stories of people affected by war or displacement, and we do not use photographs of identifiable people in distress.
• Articles about aid, displacement and conflict are kept strictly factual. Our Games & Chance section is separate and never mixed into them.
• Travel information can change quickly. Always check the official advice of your own government before travelling.

Games & Chance

Mesopotamia gave the world some of its oldest board games and dice, so our Games & Chance section covers that history along with today's laws on casinos, lotteries and betting in the Middle East. These articles are informational. Laws differ from country to country; please follow the laws where you live.

Images

Photographs on this site come from Wikimedia Commons and are used under their free licences or public-domain status. The author and licence are credited under each image.

Corrections

If you find a mistake, please tell us through the contact page. We correct errors promptly.