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Author: Laila Ali

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A group of people in yellow jackets spray down a container
Fighting COVID-19 deepens Iraq’s humanitarian crisis

Fighting COVID-19 deepens Iraq’s humanitarian crisis

Children in emergencies

By Laila Ali

The COVID-19 virus has challenged developed nations in ways that few could have predicted just a few weeks ago. In Iraq, my colleagues and I watch with trepidation as Europe and the US struggle to contain the virus. Hospitals are overwhelmed, there’s an acute shortage of testing and protective equipment, and the death toll continues to… Read more →←
Two tiny figures of girls in school uniform walking along a damaged thoroughfare as seen from what appears to be the ruins of a building behind them
Responding to Iraq’s learning crisis

Responding to Iraq’s learning crisis

Children in emergencies

By Laila Ali

Three years after Mosul was retaken from the so-called Islamic State, parts of west Mosul still resemble a warzone with entire neighborhoods laid waste. Buildings remain collapsed into each other like a deck of cards. They create a dangerous mashup of bricks and steel that loom over children and families fighting to resume their lives as… Read more →←
A child sleeping alone in a tent
“We are barely breathing.”

“We are barely breathing.”

Children in emergencies

By Laila Ali

Story also available in: العربية Español Français
Over 7,000 new Syrian refugees – nearly half of them children – have fled the conflict in northeastern Syria and arrived into the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Many of them are women, children and the elderly. Almost all of them walked long distances through the night, hoping to reach safety. They arrive in physical and mental distress.… Read more →←
A school girl collects water in her hands from a communal water tap.
In Basra: Oil in abundance, but little water to drink

In Basra: Oil in abundance, but little water to drink

Children in emergencies

By Laila Ali

Story also available in: 中文 العربية Français
Iraq’s southern city of Basra was once a thriving port city. In its heyday, it was described as the “Venice of the east” due to the numerous canals and bridges all over the city. The comparisons with Venice are long gone. Today, the situation is bleak. Basra’s canals are polluted with filth, algae and bacteria. The riverbanks are… Read more →←
A girl stands next to a cardboard cutout of a woman with a portrait stuck to it.
“I choose education, not marriage”

“I choose education, not marriage”

Impact

By Laila Ali

Story also available in: العربية
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Balance for Better”. UNICEF spoke to Kaiy Abdalstar, an Iraqi lawyer and activist working to improve the rights of girls and women in Iraq. “When I was 12 years old, my father told me I could no longer go to school. I remember being scared and sad on that day,” said Kaiy… Read more →←

Laila Ali is Communication Specialist, Programme Section in Erbil, Iraq.

Impact

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