Mosul residents struggle to put life back on track

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Iraq, a country with a people all-too familiar with conflict. In 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), proclaimed a self-styled caliphate, and afterwards, seized control of a large part of the country. Iraq paid a heavy price for defeating the ISIL militants. The United Nations says nearly six million people were displaced.

The deadliest urban combat since World War II

The battle to recapture Mosul, a city in northern Iraq’s Nineveh Governorate, was launched by Iraqi forces and the US-led coalition. The nine-month long battle lasted from October 2016 until July 2017, when the Iraqi government announced its full liberation from the ISIL. US commanders say it was the deadliest urban combat since World War II.

The destruction of Mosul had left an estimated 11 million tons of debris and two-thirds of the explosive hazards were thought to be buried under the rubble, according to UN Mine Action Service. /CGTN Photo

The UN estimates that more than 20,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in the battle, some of them historic sites like the al-Nuri Mosque. The brutal fight displaced nearly half of the city’s 1.8 million people, with an unofficial death toll of around 10,000.

Amnesty International accused ISIL fighters of violating international humanitarian law for crimes like abductions, mass killings and the deployment of child soldiers.

Destroyed vehicles scattered around streets in the Old City of Mosul. /CGTN Photo.

Mosul residents call for more assistance

Khaled Ibrahim is a shop owner in the Old City of Western Mosul. He returned to his damaged shop two months ago after fleeing to Eastern Mosul to escape the conflict.

Khaled told CGTN that his house was very badly damaged by the fighting. He simply cleaned it up and repaired only the most important parts. He has no money to fix the door and buy a gas stove. Khaled hopes the government will compensate for the losses he had suffered.

Shatha Khaleel, a local resident in Mosul, has custody of 10 orphans. Her family was either killed by airstrikes or taken away by ISIL fighters. She told CGTN that what they need most urgently are basic necessities, like mattresses and stoves.

Street view inside the Old City of Western Mosul. Displaced local residents are gradually coming back. /CGTN Photo

How long it take for Mosul to recover from its losses?

Most of the buildings in the old city of Western Mosul still lie in ruins, and under the rubble are the rotting corpses of the dead militants and civilians. There are also unexploded munitions and booby traps set by ISIL. The dangers are still there, hindering the reconstruction process.

The Iraqi government has worked out a multi-year plan to reconstruct the city. Officials have put the initial cost to repair Mosul at 50 billion US dollars. For many, the practical challenge ahead is how to settle into an old place when everything has changed.