Operation Mercy is an international relief and development organization headquartered in Sweden.  They are a community of professionals  who serve the poor and marginalized of Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa through an array of community development and humanitarian aid projects.

Their vision is to work in partnership with others to restore hope, grow capacity, and promote community through relief and development initiatives that help transform lives, including their own."

History

Operation Mercy was formed after the Gulf War in 1991 to aid the thousands of Iraqi Kurds fleeing Saddam Hussein’s forces and stuck in the mountains between Iraq and Turkey. The situation was desperate. The rocky terrain made it difficult to dig latrines as well as graves. The cold and rainy weather left thousands of Kurds vulnerable, hungry, and in unsanitary conditions.  Many were dying from exposure, especially the very young and very old. Mr. Bertil Engqvist of Örebro, Sweden was one of the many private persons who volunteered to help in the relief efforts on the Turkish/Iraqi border. He, together with other friends helped arrange for truck loads of blankets and supplies to be shipped from Europe. More volunteers arrived to help with shelter, sanitation, and feeding. In this context Operation Mercy was born.

From those humble beginnings in 1991, Operation Mercy has expanded beyond relief into development and has worked in various capacities in over twenty countries throughout Central Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and North Africa. The international headquarters are in Örebro, Sweden.

THEIR FIVE CORE COMPETENCIES:

Empowering Women
Improving Health
Caring for Children at Risk
Equipping the Next Generation
Responding to Crisis

THEIR FIVE KEY PRIORITIES:

Prayer - seeking God's presence, blessing and involvement in their lives and work
Professionalism - providing high quality services guided by applicable international codes of practice
Peacemaking - facilitating the resolution of relational conflict
Perseverance - staying on-task for the long-term in spite of difficulties and discouragements
Partnership - involving the active participation of all stakeholders