Shifaa lost her father to kidney failure in 2014. He was not able to get proper medical treatment due to the conflict. The 15-year-old's eldest brother is detained and she lives with her other siblings at their ailing grandmother’s home. Despite all her difficulties, she attends school and is one of the best students in her class.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ibrahim Adnan Sherkhan
Zainab is a school director at Alrajaa secondary school, which was completely destroyed during the conflict. The ICRC completed the rehabilitation of the school last year, making it possible for Zainab and her students to begin their classes afresh.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ibrahim Adnan Sherkhan
Ismail used to work in construction before he lost his right leg in an attack in 2004. Today, the 37-year-old lives in an unfinished building with his eight children.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ibrahim Adnan Sherkhan
Ismail used to have crutches before he visited the ICRC physical rehabilitation centre where he received an artificial limb. “Having a disability makes finding a job impossible," he said. "I feel better with the artificial limb, but still need to have a job.”
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ibrahim Adnan Sherkhan
Khalda's story is similar in many ways to the countless stories of women in Iraq who lost their loved ones and now must be responsible for feeding their families. Khalda lives in a tent in Ramadi where the winters are freezing cold and the summers are raging hot.
CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ibrahim Adnan Sherkhan
Ayousha lives in a tent inside a centre for people displaced by the fighting. She has only known life inside the tent ever since she was born a year back.
The President of the ICRC, Peter Maurer visited Iraq between 6 and 8 March.
"The big battles may be over, but I am seeing that their consequences are certainly not," Maurer said upon returning. "For all the massive destruction I saw in Ramadi and Fallujah, I saw a lot of reconstruction already taking place, and that's a testimony to the resilience of the Iraqi people."
The president had the opportunity to meet residents of Fallujah, Ramadi and Salahaddin. Some of these men and women lost family members, others lost limbs – but a common refrain was their desire to rebuild their lives.
Shifaa, Khalda, Ayousha, Ismail and Zainab are some of the names of those who, despite it all, are beginning the long journey of starting over.
