On 6 March 2022. Mosul, Iraq. Portrait of Yousef, 12 years old, Jummuria Secondary school. He dreams to become a police officer. The school was severely damaged by shelling during the war in Mosul. Explosive weapons kill and main children and leave them with deep psychological scars. Whether or not they are direct targets when explosive weapons are deployed in populated areas schools and hospitals are often damaged beyond repair. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF
On 7 March 2022. Mosul, Iraq. Dalia´s mother helps her daughter, 17 years old, to have sat in a bed at home. Dalia Mohammed Fathi was affected by her spine during an explosion in a bazaar. Her father passed immediately away. She was unconscious for 2 months. Dalal loves maths. Her house in Sinjar is totally destroyed. She does not want to be back in Sinjar till the fighting ends. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF
On 7 March 2022. Mosul, Iraq. Ali, 17 years old, shows his arm prosthesis inside his home located outskirts of Mosul. He lost his two hands after being hit by a mortar while he was trying to run away from the war in 2015. His parents were killed in another incident a few years ago. He was attending 3rd grade and then he quit studies. In 2021, 52 children were killed and 73 were maimed by explosive remnants of war (ERW) and unexploded ordnance. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF
On 6 March 2022. Mosul, Iraq. Abdul Jabad poses for a portrait inside a destroyed school in Mosul. He wants to become a doctor. Currently, some 264 million children worldwide do not have the opportunity to enter or complete school due to poverty, discrimination, armed conflict, and emergencies. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF
On 1 March 2022. Basra, Iraq. Portrait of Zainab, 14 years old, inside her house in Zareeji. She was affected by a UXO while she was collecting steel with her brother, Abd Alhussain, 6 km far way her community. “My dream is to see again, I don't want anything else in my life, my wish is to see I have nothing precious than my eyes. I hope my eyesight will return soon.”; “I left school two years ago, I was in the sixth grade, in school my future, I hope to become a doctor.” Even after conflict, the effects of explosive weapons reverberate for years to come. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF.
On 6 March 2022. Mosul, Iraq. Burned notebooks are piled up inside Jummuria Secondary school. The school was severely damaged by shelling during the war in Mosul. Explosive weapons kill and main children and leave them with deep psychological scars. Whether or not they are direct targets when explosive weapons are deployed in populated areas schools and hospitals are often damaged beyond repair. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF
On 6 March 2022. Mosul, Iraq. Amat, 13 years old, poses for a portrait inside a destroyed school in Mosul. He wants to become an engineer. Conflicts leave deep scars on the psyche of children, highlighting the importance of education in hope to create a future that could break the cycle of war. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF
On 3 March 2022. Basra, Iraq. An Iraqi map is displayed inside a schoolroom in Basrah. attacks on schools expose students and education personnel to harm, deny large numbers of children and students their right to education and so deprive communities of the foundations on which to build their future”. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF.
On 6 March 2022. Mosul, Iraq. A young Iraqi boy carries a football ball in the old city of Mosul. Most neighborhoods in the Old City of Mosul are in ruins but people are beginning to come back, despite the lack of public services like sewage and water. The increasing urbanization of armed conflict raises important concerns. Even after conflict, the effects of explosive weapons reverberate for years to come. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF.
On 28 February 2022. Fallujah, Iraq. Portrait of Diab, 8 years old, at his home. A UXO exploded while he was playing with his friends one year ago. His leg was injured in the incident and he is currently using crutches to aid his movement. He has pain and difficulty hearing due to the noise during the explosion. “The bomb went off on me and this is how I am now, I left school because of the accident, and I can't go to school, nor play football” Explosive weapons in populated areas - EWIPA - are one of society’s worst threats for children during times of armed conflict. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF
On 3 March 2022. Basra, Iraq. A mural displayed on the walls of an Iraqi school alerts children about the danger of landmines and UXOs. In 2020, explosive weapons were responsible for 47% of all verified child casualties. Most of these casualties were reported in populated areas. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF
On 1 March 2022. Basra, Iraq. Zainab hands caressing grass. She lost part of her vision after being affected by a UXO while she was collecting steel with her brother. Explosive weapons in populated areas - EWIPA - are one of society’s worst threats to children during times of armed conflict. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF.
On 1 March 2022. Basra, Iraq. Portrait of Zainab, 14 years old, and her brother, Abd Alhussain, 16 years old, outside their house in Zareeji. Zainab was affected by a UXO while she was collecting steel with her brother 6 km far away from her community. “My dream is to see again, I don't want anything else in my life, my wish is to see I have nothing precious than my eyes. I hope my eyesight will return soon.” Even after conflict, the effects of explosive weapons reverberate for years to come. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF.
On 7 March 2022. Mosul, Iraq. Portrait of Dalia, 17 years old, at her home. Dalia Mohammed Fathi was affected by her spine during an explosion in a bazaar. Her father passed immediately away. She was unconscious for 2 months. Explosive weapons in populated areas - EWIPA - are one of society’s worst threats to children during times of armed conflict. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF
On 2 March 2022. Basra, Iraq. A UNICEF team conducts mine risk training at a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space located outskirts of Basra, in the South of Iraq. Remnants of war are as deadly for children as war itself. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF
On 5 March 2022. Domiz Camp, Dohuk, Iraq. A view shows Domiz camp. The camp was intended to be temporary to provide shelter to those fleeing the war in Syria in 2013. Almost a quarter of a million Syrian refugees and asylum-seekers are still living in Iraq under tough living conditions since the beginning of the Syrian humanitarian crisis in 2011. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF.
On 28 February 2022. Falluja, Habanya, Iraq. Portrait of Hussein, 5 years old inside his temporally home in Habanya. A UXO exploded when he was playing with his friends 2 months ago. He lost part of his ear and has shrapnel in his stomach and hands. “The bomb went off on me and this is how I am now, I left school because of the accident and now I can't go to school and I can't play football” Explosive weapons kill and injure thousands of civilians each year, during and after an armed conflict. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF.
On 5 March 2022. Domiz Camp, Dohuk, Iraq. A young Syrian boy walks inside Domiz camp. The camp was intended to be temporary to provide shelter to those fleeing the war in Syria in 2013. Even after conflict, the effects of explosive weapons reverberate for years to come. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for UNICEF.