Personal Stories

A Community Built On Rubble and Hope

In the shadows of the Iraqi Ministries of Oil and Interior—the only government Ministries protected by U.S. troops during and after the invasion—lies the squatter community of Al Huda. It is a sprawling complex of nearly three thousand Muslims, Christians, and Kurds. Forced from their homes, the residents have sought refuge amidst the bombed-out rubble of a former police training center and social club.

Returning exiles attempt to help

Samir meets with residents.

Samir and Layla, the Iraqis who introduced us to Al Huda, recently returned from exile. Samir was imprisoned and tortured by the former regime, but managed to escape with his sister, Layla. With the help of the UN, they received citizenship in the West. Shortly after the war, they returned to Iraq to reclaim their lives and earlier work.

Compassionate, courageous, and committed, Samir and Layla are relentless and inspiring in their labor. During our visit to Al Huda, Samir sat beside a young, shell-shocked boy, who sat deaf and dumb alongside a building. Samir gently brushed the flies from the boy’s face while holding him. The expression on Samir’s face bespoke love and endless pain.

Homelessness spreads

Al Huda is one of an increasing number of homeless camps appearing in abandoned structures, Ministry buildings, and former military camps. In addition to the urban poor with their mounting legions of homeless, Iraq has nearly 300,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) according to estimates of the International Organization for Migration. (IDP’s are people displaced by war, violence or violations of human rights).

An Iraqi family makes a home in Al Huda.

There are numerous reasons for the growing numbers of homeless in Iraq. Many homes were destroyed or damaged in the war. After the war, some landlords increased the rent, forcing families onto the streets. Other families were homeless before the war and have sought refuge in Al Huda and the other camps.

There is a severe shortage of homes in Baghdad and throughout Iraq. Property owners, including the government Ministries, are reclaiming property, further exacerbating the crisis. With an unemployment rate of more than 50 percent, many Iraqis are unable to pay rent. Poverty is increasing throughout Iraq, leading to growing numbers of homeless, poor, and disenfranchised.

Al Huda reflects national trends

Ninety percent of the residents of Al Huda are unemployed, while others subsist on menial jobs like selling cigarettes on the streets of Baghdad. Many families are faced with hunger and malnutrition. The UN estimates that about half of Iraq’s population needs food assistance, while OXFAM estimates that 7 percent of children under five are malnourished.

The children of Al Huda.

About 25 families (nearly 150 people) in Al Huda are not registered for the monthly Oil For Food ration that supports 80 percent of Iraq’s population, and will soon run out. These families, caught in a bureaucratic bind, have no source of food. AFSC has agreed to provide some food for these families, while they reapply for their monthly ration.

Inhabitants of Al Huda told us: “Everyday the police arrive to harass us and tell us to leave; sometimes they shoot at our feet, sending a message. They have given us three months to disappear, but we have nowhere to go. We have little food and no money.” Many inhabitants sold their belongings during the years of sanctions and now have few or no possessions.

Resourcefulness in the face of neglect

The community’s leaders have attempted to contact the United Nations and the Coalition Provisional Authority for help, but to no avail. “Nobody listens to our pleas for help,” residents told us. In the meantime, sewage pipes are blocked and the toilets are not working. With more people arriving, even the former bathrooms have been converted to living space.

There is a strong sense of community in this complex of strangers. Using tin, ductwork, and other discarded items, the residents have created living spaces. They hang a picture or spread a carpet salvaged from past homes. Daily, they clean the debris of war from their newfound homes and surroundings.

With winter, the rainy season, and a deadline to leave fast approaching, the families of Al Huda have resolved to stay. They told us, “We will not leave.” Asked if they will take up guns to defend their homes, they said no, but determinedly added that they are “willing to die to protect their children and homes.”

The people of Al Huda: Portraits of Hope

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