Photo taken on July 14, 2019 shows a view of the old city of Mosul, Iraq. The war for liberating Iraq's Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) militant group has achieved victory for two years, but its grave impacts still weigh heavily on the city's residents. A grassroots fund-raising campaign was initiated in Chinese social media with overwhelming solidarity, aiming to bring hope to war-ridden families in Iraq's Mosul. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
BAGHDAD, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The war for liberating Iraq's Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) militant group has achieved victory for two years, but its grave impacts still weigh heavily on the city's residents.
A grassroots fund-raising campaign was initiated in Chinese social media with overwhelming solidarity, aiming to bring hope to war-ridden families in Iraq's Mosul.
OVERWHELMING SOLIDARITY
Earlier in July, Xinhua reporters visited the city for the second anniversary of its liberation from the extremist militants and published a story.
The magnitude of destruction was shocking and the people felt forgotten, anguished and traumatized, attracting overwhelming attention of Chinese employees in Iraq.
Many Chinese people wanted to extend a helping hand and make a difference for the three families of Ali Saadi, Firas Khalid and Laith Najim who are struggling to restart lives in rubbles of the old city of Mosul.
Donations started to flock in on WeChat Pay and Alipay from Iraq, China, Turkey, France, Holland, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with over 2,500 U.S. dollars in less than 10 hours.
From July 10 to 13, a total of 61 donations worth 5,145 dollars were raised, mostly from employees of Chinese companies operating in Iraq, as well as Xinhua reporters and editors across the world.
Chinese donors sent their hopes for a bright future to the three families and their war-torn city. Zhang Xin, 22-year-old employee of a Chinese construction company based in Baghdad, is one of the donators.
"I'm shocked," Zhang said after seeing pictures of the devastated families posted on social media.
"I would like to contribute a little to those families and I hope the world will see no more wars," he added.
BATTLING FOR SURVIVAL
For nine bloody months of fighting between 2016 and 2017, thousands of homes in Mosul were bombarded and innocent people were buried under the rubble.
The families of Saadi and Khalid once lived a normal life in their houses on the western bank of the Tigris River.
In July 2017, just a few days before Iraq declared victory over IS group, Saadi's house was destroyed by a U.S.-led coalition airstrike and his eldest daughter Abeer was shot by an IS militant.
The injury paralyzed Abeer, who now has to move on a wheelchair.
"The father is great by supporting his family in such an environment. He wants to build a house and bring his family together," Zhang Xuefei, Xinhua editor in Paris, said after reading Saadi's story.
Saadi bursted into tears when he received the donation and said that he will use the money to finish rebuilding his home after an anonymous donor helped him erect one storey of the house last year.
A CITY OF MYRIAD LOSSES
Similar to Saadi, many people in the battered old town of Mosul still desperately battling their way out the shadow of war, struggling to rebuild their lives.
Over 300,000 people are still displaced from Mosul district, according to figures from the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The story of Saadi's neighbor Khalid is equally tragic. His home was also targeted by a coalition airstrike that severely wounded his nine-year-old daughter Zainab and buried his mother under the debris.
Like Saadi, Khalid is also unemployed, barely surviving with his family members on donations from aid groups and help from generous locals.
One of the locals stepped up to fund rebuilding his home, while an aid organization committed to his daughter's costly medical treatment.
"I'm currently living in a garbage dump with my three daughters and son, and five other families are living with us in the same place," he said.
"I only hope that people will not forget the city and that they'll help rebuilding it again," he said wishfully, and appreciated the kindness of the Chinese donors.
UNHEARD OUTCRY
Najim's house was one of the very few buildings left almost intact in the aftermath of war.
A mortar round once landed on their door step, where he sat with his sons and neighbors. The explosion killed one of their neighbors and wounded him and two of his sons.
Najim lost his fishing boat in the war, the source of his livelihood. His family also received the donations.
"I only hope that things go back to how they were before the war," Najim said.
A DOSE OF HOPE
Chinese people have sent not only money, but also love and sincere wishes for a bright future to Mosul's people and their war-torn city.
The campaign will not only help alleviating the conditions of the three families and easing their sufferings, but will also represent a dose of hope for the people.
"If you don't come here (to Mosul), you wouldn't be able to comprehend how every corner in the city is destroyed," Yang Xiaoqian, who works as a translator for a Baghdad-based Chinese company told Xinhua.
"There's just so many details that can't be seen through photos. Human bones and bullet shell casings were still scattered on the streets," said Yang, who was also one of the representatives of the donors accompanying Xinhua reporters to Mosul on July 14.
In June 2014, IS militants occupied Mosul as Iraqi security forces, which outnumbered the attackers at the time and had more logistic and military sources, fled their positions, enabling the extremists to hold sway over large swathes of Iraq.
Iraq declared the liberation of Mosul from IS in July 2017, but the costly war destroyed the city's infrastructure, displaced thousands and killed thousands more.
