Photographer: Carol Guzy

Civilians, many wounded. terrified and weak, rest in a bulldozer as they arrive at a medical Trauma Stabilization Point near the Old City while fleeing the fierce battle with ISIS in West Mosul, Iraq on July 7, 2017. Those not severely injured continue walking after being checked for suicide bombs and are then transported to IDP camps.

The self-proclaimed Islamic State formed by ISIS, ruled over the civilian population of Mosul until Iraqi forces waged a fierce battle to liberate the ancient city. The citizens who called this home were trapped or held captive as human shields. Wounded and weak, they arrive at a medical triage and transport area near the Old City, struggling to grasp the remnants of their lives. Most who survived now face an uncertain future, forgotten in the limbo of IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps. The scars of emotional trauma are even more difficult to heal than the physical ones. Their lives are shattered, they lost loved ones and all personal effects, while surviving day to day, in non-stop terror, between suicide bombs and repressive ISIS doctrine for three long years. The war in Mosul is over, but it left a society in ruins, a city in rubble and a massive humanitarian crisis.