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Mosul celebrates two years of its liberation by the Iraqi army and the international coalition. The country's second largest city was released on July 10, 2017 after three years under the yoke of Daesh jihadists. A half-hearted celebration: life is struggling to resume its course in many neighborhoods. The west, where the most violent part of the battle took place, remains a field of ruins deserted by the inhabitants, and riddled with artisanal mines. Explosive devices continue to claim civilian lives, as thousands of war movers return home and return to their homes.
From our special envoy to Mosul , Noé Pignède
In al-Salam hospital, largely destroyed by the fighting, patients from all over the region are received in prefabricated buildings. Mahmoud Younes is one of them, he is 39 years old and moves in a wheelchair. Three months ago, he was injured by a mine on the road to his village.
" I was driving and my car exploded. My uncle, who was sitting next to me, is dead. And I had to amputate my right leg. The other is fractured. I spent a month and a half in this hospital before I could go home. If humanitarian organizations had not helped me, I would have had to pay a lot of money. I was lucky to be cared for here, because thank God, everything is free. It is a 5 star hotel. "
Since his accident, a sheep salesman can no longer work. Every week, he goes to the hospital for re-education sessions. " This patient is diabetic, so his recovery takes longer, but he is still young ! For now, the stump heals very well. Soon we will be able to order a prosthesis for him to be independent again. Afterwards, he can walk again as before, "says Khalid Malla, a physiotherapist at al-Salam hospital, for the NGO Handicap International.
Despite the many demining operations in the region, the total decontamination of Mosul is expected to take several decades. According to the United Nations, Iraq remains the fifth most mined country in the world.