Iraq: The lasting scars of conflict
Long after a conflict has ended – after the terrifying sounds of gunfire, mortars, and rockets have gradually faded – the impact of explosive weapons can reverberate for years to come. Landmines and unexploded or abandoned ordnance continue to kill and maim children and their families, leaving lasting scars both physical and psychological. Iraq remains among the countries most contaminated with explosive objects, which still severely injure children just trying to go about daily life – walking to school, helping with chores, or playing with friends.
Hussein was playing soccer with his brother when an object exploded under his feet, tearing open his stomach and taking off part of his right ear. “We hit something, gunpowder came out, and then it exploded,” Hussein says. “I don’t remember anything else.” Hussein, 5, and his brother now live with their grandmother at a camp for internally displaced persons in Anbar. Hussein’s family say he has been traumatized by the explosion, which took place in November 2021, and that he’s now sometimes aggressive with people at home.
Ali, 17, lost both of his hands during shelling in western Mosul in 2017 when he got caught in the middle of fighting. “Life is very complicated” since the shelling, says Ali, who now uses a prosthetic arm. “I had to drop out of school because I couldn’t stand being bullied.” Ali says it has been difficult to find work because potential employers don’t think he can do certain jobs. “I’d like to work in a store. I see myself as capable and useful, despite my disability,” he says.
Story:
https://www.unicef.org/stories/lasting-scars-conflict-iraq
https://elpais.com/eps/2022-07-09/las-heridas-abiertas-de-la-infancia-en-irak.html
