Facing the truth about the lasting scars of war
Until the First World War (1914-1918), most battle injuries were caused by small arms fire or sword cuts. Facial injuries were often of little concern to survivors who were deemed lucky enough to have escaped with their lives. Weapons used during the First World War like heavy artillery, machine guns and poison gas, created injuries of a severity and scal…
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Jordan hospital treats war casualties from across Middle East
Shahd Tahrawi was wounded in an Israeli strike on Gaza, Hossam Abd al-Rahman suffered burns in an explosion in Iraq and bombardment in Yemen has left Mohammed Zakaria in need of multiple surgeries. As Kamal Taha explains, they all met at the charitable Al-Mowasah hospital in the Jordanian capital Amman, which treats some of the many civilians wounded in co…
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Landmines and remnants cast a long shadow over Iraq
Landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) contaminate an estimated 2,100 km² of land in Iraq—equal to 300,000 football fields. These deadly hazards pose an ongoing threat to civilians, hindering the return of displaced families, restricting access to farmland, and slowing down reconstruction efforts. On the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assi…
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Thinking ahead to PTSD Awareness Month
June is PTSD Awareness Month , and advocates say people don't have to suffer in silence. As Cory Smith explains for The National Desk , treatment works according to veteran advocate Jim Lorraine. He said post-traumatic stress disorder isn’t just a military thing. Anyone who lives through a traumatic event, such as an assault or car crash, can suffer f…
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Emma Nicholson, the Baroness revolutionizing women’s rights
It’s amazing to think of the incredible impact Baroness Emma Nicholson has had on the lives of women worldwide. In 1991, Baroness Nicholson founded the AMAR International Charitable Foundation and she is also president of the Iraq Britain Business Council . Since 1991, AMAR have provided over 11 million medical consultations to communities impacted by con…
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A new skate park in Baghdad is the safe space Iraqi youth have longed for
Car bombs and militant attacks are no longer a daily concern in the streets of Baghdad as they were in the chaotic years after the fall of Saddam Hussein or at the height of the battle to push back the Islamic State group. But as Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Stella Martany explain, while violence has decreased, many young Iraqis say their opportunities remain li…
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An Iraqi family’s efforts to rebuild their home and their lives
Intisar, 40, and her 4 children had no choice but to flee after an airstrike completely destroyed their home in Anbar, Iraq. At the same time, her husband went missing during the attacks by the group known as ISIS in their city and was presumed dead. These events left her distraught and uncertain about her next steps. Intisar remembers the thoughts that sw…
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The first-ever child benefit initiative launched in Muthanna Governorate
UNICEF Iraq, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Health, launched the country’s first Child Benefit initiative in the Muthanna Governorate. This effort will benefit 7,000 vulnerable children and expectant mothers and inform social safety net reforms led by the government. The initiative, funded by the Europea…
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Yazidi woman reunites with family a decade after ISIS abduction
A Yazidi woman kidnapped by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014 reunited with her family in Shingal’s Kocho village on Sunday after being rescued from Syria’s northwestern Idlib province last month. S.K, the 30-year-old Yazidi woman was rescued from Idlib with the assistance of the Office of Rescuing Abducted Yazidis, an organization affiliated with the Kurdi…
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A decade after genocide, Iraq's Yazidis make bittersweet return to Sinjar
Ten years after the genocide perpetrated against the Yazidis by the Islamic State group in Iraq's Sinjar region, tens of thousands of displaced survivors are returning home. But their homecoming is bittersweet, as the atrocities have left indelible wounds. FRANCE 24's Marie-Charlotte Roupie reports. On the morning of August 3, 2014, the Islamic Sta…
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Empowering all abilities in Iraq
On the 11th July, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), proudly announced the successful conclusion of the First National Forum for Empowering People with Disabilities. Held under the patronage of His Excellency the…
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Iraq launches childhood care units to strengthen protection services
On the 13th July 2024, Iraq took a significant stride in safeguarding child rights as the Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, inaugurated 44 National and Sub-National Childhood Care Units. These units are pivotal in ensuring access to essential protection services and promoting the well-being of children across the country. "…
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Beyond survival: Youssef's path to education and empowerment
"Every day, we saw people dying, and we didn’t have enough to eat," says Youssef. Youssef, now 18, vividly remembers his journey from Baaj District to Mosul city. As Shahad Butrus Bulbul explains, Youssef and his family experienced multiple displacements within Iraq. After fleeing Baaj District in 2014 due to the escalating conflict, they moved …
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