A mother's trauma
U.S. invasion of Iraq - 20 years on
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5m 41s
A mother from Basra in southern Iraq, speaking of her sick children, says: "One's like this. Another's the same. I'm at my wits' end." Depleted Uranium (DU) is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group I carcinogen. During the 2003 Iraq War, the U.S. military used large amounts of depleted uranium munitions against Iraqi armored vehicles. Today, the radioactive wreckage is believed to be the cause of severe health problems among the local population.
Bushra is a mother of four. Her eldest son died at the age of 7, and one of her daughters suffers from congenital brain damage; Bushra believes that both were the victims of DU poisoning. Bushra used all her savings to get treatment for her children. Eventually, a doctor told her it was a waste of money. She says she has learned that nothing is more painful than losing hope. She despairs at the sight of her children suffering, knowing she can't do anything to help.
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