Iraq's Lost Generation

Iraq’s lost generation: ‘I have forgotten what happiness is’ 

By Sally Williams

Zanab Ismail wanted to be a doctor, Raghda Ali was studying to be a nurse – then Isis destroyed Mosul. Three years on, can they start over? 

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Mosul was once a vibrant city with a population of 1.4 million, rivers, forests, markets, a famous university and some of the oldest churches and mosques in the world. But when we arrive, the street scene is post-apocalyptic: mountains of rubble and shattered stone; surfaces cracked and fractured; the Ibn Sina teaching hospital broken open, like a child’s toy. 

It is estimated that about 920,000 people fled or were evacuated during the fighting. By 27 June, just over 200,000 had returned. The hard work of rebuilding has begun, but initial repairs are expected to cost more than $1bn, according to the UN, which some say is still not enough. And the damage is more than just structural. 

This month, Oxfam issued a warning about the long-term consequences for a generation of Iraqis coming of age in war. Young people constitute the largest sector of Iraq’s population: 61% are below the age of 24 and 20% are between 15 and 24, according to 2014 figures. Oxfam’s Iraq youth report includes a long list of the problems faced by young people during the Isis occupation, from interrupted education to loss of freedom, trauma, shock and fear, and the more practical difficulty of finding a job in the aftermath. “The implications of not appropriately addressing youths’ educational, socioeconomic, civic and psychosocial concerns are potentially far reaching,” the report warns, hinting at dark “repercussions” through the generations if such issues are ignored. “Understanding the concerns, hopes and recommendations of youth is critical to the long-term stability of the country.” 

The rest of the article is here.

It is a sin beyond measure what the US government and military have done to Iraq.