The Canadian bishops’ aid and emergency-relief agency says its partner-agencies in Iraq are still operating in the war-torn country, despite the pullout of many western non-governmental organizations.

Funds that were sent to the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace are being used to help support Al Amal, a Bagdad-based NGO that is working throughout Iraq, said the aid organization in a press release Sept. 9.

Funds are also supporting Caritas Iraq, the local arm of Caritas Internationalis, the Amman-based Middle East Council of Churches, and the Mennonite Central Committee.

All four organizations continue to be fully operational, providing aid to children suffering from malnutrition and disease, peace-building training to national NGOs, and advice to Iraq’s NGO Coordination Committee.