A planned shipment of wheelchairs to Iraq has been abandoned because the country has been thrown into turmoil by the actions of Islamic State (IS).
Riyadh Al Hakimi, an Iraqi refugee living in Perth, has sent hundreds of wheelchairs to children in Iraq, but has been forced to cancel a fourth shipment intended for the north west of the country.
"The whole country is in turmoil at the moment," he said.
"The main thing is the safety of our volunteers, and the second thing is we just don't want to put a lot on their busy plate the moment."
Riyadh Al Hakimi fled Iraq in the nineties and when he returned less than 10 years later, he abandoned a political career to start a non-government organisation.
"I kind of fall in love with the children over there that I've managed to help and I've managed to meet,' the married father of three said.
"I don't own a house here. Never thought of doing that.
"But I own the love and the happiness I see on the faces of the people I do help, which outweighs the financial gain."
Along with several friends, he formed the Iraq Reconstruction Institute and raised money to buy hundreds of wheelchairs for Iraqi children who either had to be carried by the parents, or would drag themselves through the dirt.
Riyadh Al Hakimi buys the wheelchairs from Wheelchairs for Kids, which is a Perth-based charity that has sent more than 29,000 wheelchairs around the world.
It's run by Brother Ollie Pickett who says the wheelchairs can be adjusted as the child grows.
"Once they get them into a wheelchair, then they're off the ground, they get them to the school, they get them to the market, just get them out," he said.
"They play with their friends and it makes a huge difference to the life of the child as well as the family."
Riyadh Al Hakimi's planned shipment to Iraq may be sent to Afghanistan instead.
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