The war continued and the days were passing slowly [1]. During the day, my sister and I would bake bread using an oil stove [2] that we had, clean the dishes, and wash the clothes. Nothing was washed unless it was necessary and every drop of water was saved.
Sometimes, I would read my law books, as I was a senior at the Law School. My mother helped as much as she could, though her health condition was not helping her. My father also helped and provided moral support [3].
The men of the neighborhood agreed to share food supplies if necessary and each family declared how much food stock they had and promised to share when needed.
As the ground campaign advanced on Feb 1991, our anxiety grew. No one was sure would happen and everyone was fearful from a brutal regime that could retaliate for any reason and for no reason.
On Feb 27th 1991, I was among many Iraqis who heard the order to the Iraqi forces to withdraw from Kuwait. The order was broadcast on the radio. I wondered if the Iraqi soldiers on the ground had heard it. I knew they did not carry a radio set with them [4].
Two days after, Baghdad witnessed something unusual: black rain. The rain was of a black color. After the rain stopped, most houses’ roofs were covered in black. Then, we knew that the Iraqi troops set fire to around 600 oil wells as part of a scorched earth policy.
Finally, the war ended. However, the atrocities the regime committed against the Iraqi people did not end. The Shiites in the south were utterly crushed, because they rose against the regime. Houses were burned, women were raped, and men were killed.
The Iraqi Marshlands were drained and around 500,000 were persecuted, killed, or became refugees. The economy was ruined, because Iraq could not sell its oil anymore. The UN sanctions banned all trade and financial dealing with Iraq. The will of the Iraqi people was broken. They had to face two extreme challenges, a brutal regime and a collapsed economy [5].
Despite the difficulties, the atrocities, and the hardship, I graduated that year from the Law School. I passed my final exams studying on the kerosene lamp. I was lucky to have that lamp many students did not. I studied in my backyard, because the electricity was interrupted often times. Passing the final exams was challenging. I was among 12 students out of 500 who graduated that year.
Living through this story, I learned many valuable lessons. In conflict and post-conflict countries, the first and the most important issue is the availability of water for the civilians. I also learned that despite our ethic, cultural, or religious background we all need water. I also learned that women and children are the ones responsible for collecting water.
Water is a unifying element that can bring people together. Sometimes, they fight over it and sometimes they cooperate to access it.
I remember these lessons as the picture of my neighbors who came from different background lining up at my house will always be alive in my mind.
[1] The First Gulf War took place in1990-1991.
[2] Most Iraqis use oil stoves for heating during the winter. Many people put a kettle to boil water on top of it. They use the hot water to make tea or for cooking and bathing.
[3] My father is supportive. He still provides moral support to me and to my son.
[4] My neighbors and friends shared the stories of their sons who served as soldiers in the Iraqi Army during the first Gulf War. Most of them said they actually were not fighting, they were trying to stay alive either by running or hiding, in hopes of getting back to their homes safely.
[5] Hadani Ditmars, Iraqis' Suffering Widens as U.N. Sanctions Drag On, The New York Times, Dec 14th, 1997. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807E1DE163FF937A25751C1A961958260&pagewanted=all
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