In Pictures

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Photos: Iraq’s IDPs continue to wait to return home

Five years on from the defeat of ISIL in Mosul, IDPs across northern Iraq have been unable to rebuild their old homes.

IRAQ, JEDDA 5 Refugee Camp. A tent in Jedda Camp. Thousands of Iraqis displaced in 2016 and 2017 due to the fight against the so-called Islamic State are still living in Internal Displaced camps. Now the government is closing them down, asking people to go back to their place of origin. — A tent in Jeddah camp. Thousands of Iraqis displaced in 2016 and 2017 as a result of the fight against ISIL are still living in camps for internally displaced people. The government is now closing them down, and asking people to go back to their places of origin. [Alessio Romenzi/Al Jazeera]

By Alessio Romenzi and Christian Tasso

Mosul, Iraq – Landing in Iraq now means visiting a country where peace has not yet been able to remove the spirit of the war.

You are welcomed by chaotic cities and their dusty and congested streets. Bored soldiers at checkpoints remind us of past dangers and make us imagine future ones.

Those past dangers are most obvious in Mosul.

It is estimated that the 2016-2017 battle of Mosul, once the largest city under ISIL (ISIS) control, was one of the bloodiest clashes since the end of the second world war.

An intense bombing campaign by a United States-led coalition, carried out to encircle Mosul completely and tighten the grip on ISIL fighters, has left clear signs: kilometres and kilometres of destruction and rubble that today – five years after the end of the battle – have still not yet been removed.

Hundreds of thousands of people fled to find refuge in camps.

However, once hostilities ended, it has not been possible for everyone to go back to their previous life. Explosions and fighting have left indelible changes to cities and society at large.

For many people, the effect of the war is not over. Thousands of people still live in camps for the internally displaced.

They cannot go home for many reasons. Perhaps their house has been completely or partially destroyed, or they have tensions with other inhabitants in their village.

In any case, the war has changed the structure of the society itself.

In Tikrit, Thaer Khaleel Sahan told Al Jazeera that he has no means to rebuild his house, and that he cannot find a job.

Afrah Aswad Mohamad has a home to return to, but her community refuses to accept her because her husband was a prominent supporter of ISIL. Afrah says that her husband’s choices should not fall on her and that the chapter should now be closed, as she says neither she nor her children represent a danger to the community.

But her neighbours, who suffered under ISIL, do not agree, preventing her from returning home and effectively forcing her to remain in a camp.

This project has been supported by the European Union

Iraq, Mosul. Ruins of the old city. This area witnessed the worst bombing since it was the last stronghold of the Islamic State in Mosul. — Mosul's old city was ISIL's final stronghold, and witnessed the worst bombing at the end of the battle. [Christian Tasso/Al Jazeera]

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Iraq, Mosul. A man walks on the rubble of his house. During ISIS occupation, his place was used by Islamic State’s members because of its strategic position. The coalition heavily bombed it during the fight for Mosul. — A man walks in the rubble of his house. During ISIL's occupation his home was used by the group's members because of its strategic position. The coalition bombed it during the fight for Mosul. [Christian Tasso/Al Jazeera]

Iraq, Baiji. Children playing at the window of a newly built house in Baiji, in Salah ad Din governorate. The outskirts of the city were the scene of particularly cruel fights between the Iraqi army and Islamic State militants. — Children playing at the window of a newly built house in Baiji, in Salah ad-Din governorate. The outskirts of the city were the scene of particularly fierce fighting between the Iraqi army and ISIL fighters. [Christian Tasso/Al Jazeera]

Iraq, Baiji. A building destroyed during the fighting between Iraqi army and Islamic State militants. — A building destroyed during the fighting between the Iraqi army and ISIL. [Alessio Romenzi/Al Jazeera]

Iraq, Rabia. Children playing inside a house in Rabia. — Children playing inside a house in Rabia, a town near the Iraqi border with Syria. [Alessio Romenzi/Al Jazeera]

Iraq, Mosul. A street vendor set up his business in front of a building that still shows the signs of the violent clashes in the city of Mosul. — A street vendor set up his business in front of a building that still shows signs of the violent clashes that took place in the city of Mosul. [Christian Tasso/Al Jazeera]

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Iraq, Rabia. Waleed comes from a village near Mosul named Al-Saudia. Having no money to rebuild his destroyed house, he moved to the outskirts of Rabia, a border town with Syria. Now he lives there with his family, but the house is without running water and sewers. Before the war he used to be a shepherd, but his cattle are now gone. — Waleed, from a village near Mosul called al-Saudia, had no money to rebuild his destroyed home, so he moved to the outskirts of Rabia. He lives there with his family, but his house is without running water. Before the war, he used to be a shepherd, but his animals have now gone. [Christian Tasso/Al Jazeera]

Iraq, Rabia. Very poor village in the countryside around Rabia, a border town with Syria. — The windows in Rabia still show the damage inflicted during fighting. [Alessio Romenzi/Al Jazeera]

Iraq, Tawlabach village. Khamis Hsein Salah feeds one of his lambs. After the war he couldn’t find a proper job and now he survives with the Iraqi monthly food ration. — Khamis Hussein Salah feeds one of his lambs. After the war, he could not find a steady job and now survives on an Iraqi government monthly food ration. [Christian Tasso/Al Jazeera]

Iraq, Baiji. Portrait of Thaer Khaleel Sahan. He said: “In 2014 ISIS entered the city of Baiji. We remained there 4 months, then we went to Ramadi and then we came to Tikrit, and we stayed for one and a half year in the camp. When the area was safe, we came back and found our house destroyed. We can’t afford to rebuild it, so we stayed in a small house nearby. Life is difficult, everything is difficult, we haven’t the means to rebuild it like it was before, so we left it like this. The police came and told us to leave the camp and that the camp will be closed soon. They forced us to leave and they told us: ‘Go to Baiji to your homes’. I really hope that the government will rebuild my house. That’s all I dream of”. — Thaer Khaleel Sahan fled Baiji a few months after ISIL arrived. After their departure, he returned but he cannot afford to rebuild his old home. 'I really hope that the government will rebuild my house. That’s all I dream of,' Sahan said. [Christian Tasso/Al Jazeera]

Iraq, Jeddah 5 camp. A young girl leans on the separation fence between different sections of the camp. — A young girl leans on a separation fence between different sections of a camp. [Christian Tasso/Al Jazeera]

Iraq, Mosul. Children playing in the outskirts of Mosul. Poor areas are considered by ISIS good places for recruitment — Children play in the outskirts of Mosul. ISIL still attempts to recruit in poorer areas. [Alessio Romenzi/Al Jazeera]

In a remote village south of Tal Afar, a doctor of the NGO Intersos visits a baby inside one of the mobile clinics with which the organization provides basic health services. — In a remote village south of Tal Afar, a doctor working with the NGO Intersos visits a baby inside one of the mobile clinics where the organisation provides basic health services. [Alessio Romenzi/Al Jazeera]

Iraq, Jeddah 5 camp. A woman and her children walk inside Jedda 5 camp. — A woman and her children walk inside the Jeddah 5 camp. [Alessio Romenzi/Al Jazeera]

A railway damaged by airstrike on the outskirt of Mosul. — A railway track damaged by an air strike on the outskirts of Mosul during the fight against ISIL. [Alessio Romenzi/Al Jazeera]