Children reclaim their childhoods after horror of Mosul

“Children lived in Mosul under [armed groups] for two or two and a half years. There wasn’t anything there like there is here. No entertainment, no education, no psychological support.”

Maitham is a social worker at a UNICEF-supported child friendly space in Debaga 2 camp for displaced people from Mosul. He’s been living in the camp since August 2016.

“[The children] only knew about killing, planes, beheading,” says Maitham who works for UNICEF partner organization Terre des Hommes. “Their families just kept them at home.”

Maitham and his colleagues visit and encourage families to register their children.

“When we ask the parents to register their children, they ask us what the benefit will be,” he says. “After coming to the child-friendly space, the children’s attitude and behavior changes. They make connections with each other again.”

Continuing violence has cheated millions of children in Iraq of their childhood and their rights to safety, education and play. Child-friendly spaces like these give children a place to heal, learn and simply be kids again.

The child friendly space in Debaga 2 is supported, in part, by the Government of Germany, and run by Terre des Hommes.

Jennifer Sparks is a communications consultant with UNICEF Iraq.