Men and women queuing up at an aid distribution in Mosul
On occasion, I give the platform available to me on Huffington Post to members of the Islamic Relief global family. In this blog we hear from a team member in Iraq.
Mohammed Jebouri, was born and bred in Mosul and recently led an emergency distribution in Hay Al-Zhraa in eastern Mosul. This is his story.
The conditions we are now witnessing in Mosul are by far the worst I’ve ever seen - with the appalling levels of destruction, the huge loss of lives and the trauma and desperation of the people.
Everyone we met in Hay Al-Zhraq had lost someone close to them. And everyone had fled for their lives with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
More than 800,000 people have been displaced from their homes since operations to retake Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) began last year. And thousands are now returning, since its liberation last month.
Mosul was one of the most advanced cities in the region, where we all took electricity and gas for granted. Now it has gone back to the Stone Ages, with people scrabbling around to find sticks or pieces of paper to boil water. There are dead bodies lying in the street and many families are not able to bury them. The level of suffering is overwhelming.
As part of a comprehensive aid effort to support those displaced by the conflict, Islamic Relief recently delivered mattresses, blankets, pillows, saucepans, plates, cutlery, cups, children clothes, teapots, jerry cans and buckets to families identified by the local authorities as those most in need in Hay Al-Zhraa.
This includes single mother Sabha Salih Yaseen (35) and her two sons, Aiman Mahmoud (six) and Anmar Mahmoud (five) from Zinjili in western Mosul. Their house was destroyed by a bomb that landed in their neighbour’s house and Sabha and her sister were badly injured by shrapnel.
“We were so scared and stressed, Sabha told me. “We ran for our lives, fearing that we could be killed at any moment. I had shrapnel wounds in my body and a very badly injured leg. We didn’t eat anything for 10 days and fell into an extreme despair.
“One of my boys just stopped talking because of the trauma he had experienced. And I often have nightmares now. Life has very little meaning for us any more.”
Sabha, her two boys and her father and brother are now living with a relative in a crowded house with no public services such as electricity and running water.
“We are so grateful for the items we received,” said Sabha. “Without Islamic Relief there is no way we could have obtained them.”
Most of the homes we visited in in Hay Al-Zhraa were sheltering four to five families, with up to 30 people, in very difficult conditions.
Fathi Salih Yassin (50), along with his wife and eight children, was sleeping on the concrete floor of an overcrowded house with no electricity and limited water supplies.
“The living conditions are so difficult here,” he explained. “It’s very uncomfortable and we only have water supplies for two hours a week.
“There was absolutely nothing in this house when we arrived, so we are so grateful for Islamic Relief’s support. The quality of the items are very good.”
Fathi and his family fled the town of Zumar, northwest of Mosul when their home was destroyed by a bomb. “It was a tragic situation,” he said. “We became separated from the children and we had no food or water for days. I am disabled but I had to walk for two hours and I fainted twice because of the intensity of the pain in my legs.
“I also had a heart attack. And now I suffer from hypertension and high blood pressure. I often wake up in the middle of the night because of the nightmares.”
Everyone we met was traumatised by what had happened to them. Especially, the children. The fear and trauma were etched into their faces.
No-one has been spared in Mosul. Like most people, I have lost close friends and relatives. The school and university I attended have also been destroyed.
All of the places that hold happy memories for me have gone. Life will never be the same again in Mosul. It will take a long time to rebuild the city, to rebuild people’s livelihoods and to heal the psychological wounds that too many people are suffering from.
It’s so important to support Iraq and its people. We must do what we can to help people to stand on their own two feet and to be able to lead a dignified live once again.
The name of the author has been changed to protect their identity.