HORRORS UNFOLD AS MINES AND UXO CLAIM HUNDREDS OF VICTIMS IN IRAQ
Fight for life
Such is the desperate need in the under-resourced and over-stretched hospitals the surgeons willingly allow Hans to photograph double amputations. We see 20-year-old shepherd Achmed Khlait brought onto the table, no knees, shins or feet, no blood, just dirt rendered skin hanging off in strips on his thighs on both legs. He is in shock but he hangs on to life for the moment. Sean wonders whether Achmed will ever pull through and if so whether he can live with his mutilated body, whether he will find work, a family, have children ... Sean wonders, if he should pull through, whether he will hang on to the hope of a better Iraq.
Sean visited the Saddam General in Mosul and Achmed was one of two mine victims and another UXO victim had just arrived. Achmed's legs had been blown off by a bounding fragmentation mine just outside Mosul city. His brother was also hit in the back by fragmentation and 13 of their sheep were killed.
Doctor's plea
Dr Mohanned, one of the surgeons in the hospital, said: "This is terrible. We are getting three or four such blast and shrapnel cases every single day. We are also getting about seven or eight cases of children burnt from playing with explosives. I am worried it will never stop." Dr Mohanned pleaded for western help as looters were stealing precious resources from the already under-stocked hospital. He added "We have no help here at all. We have little medicine and no one guards the hospital. Bad people are coming in here with guns looting. This is a very, very bad situation. Where is the help they promised?"