China
12:29, 13-Jul-2017
Refugees slowly returning home to Mosul
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The war between ISIL and the Iraqi government has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. As the government has declared victory in the battle for Mosul, refugees are slowly returning to their homes in the ruined city.
Mahmoud Fadel Salah and his family of ten, dreams of a faraway place, home. He is one of 700,000 Iraqis fleeing this war. He lives in a camp for internally displaced people about three hours' drive from Mosul. He fled Mosul when fighting between Iraqi forces and ISIL came to his neighborhood.
His 15-year-old daughter Sabrine was going to school when ISIL arrived. The young girl who wanted to be an artist had to live under ISIL's brutal rule. She witnessed nightmares but she still possess hope as she still wants to return home and graduate.
Now that the Iraqi prime minister has declared the city liberated, the slow process of returning home begins. But everyone knows that ISIL has undercover fighters hidden amongst the civilians. So there is a long way ahead before ordinary people like Mahmoud could lead a normal life.
6245km