The Other Side of War

by Mohammed Rizwan

I had a twin brother. We shared life for nine months inside our mom’s womb and only 10 days out of it. I thought we would share our lives together: play, go to kindergarten, school, and university together; have the same friends and be best friends forever. My twin was killed before he could grow a little and see what life outside looked like. My twin was not my only loss—I lost my father, my mother, and my siblings. I am sorry I will never have an opportunity to get to know any of them. The war didn’t steal my life; it stole the life of a whole family! We all share the same pain. We all know and feel what loss means.

None of us can imagine how the rest of our lives will be (if it’s even right to call it a life) after this moment. We loved our life, but we weren’t given the chance to live. It was our simplest right… to live! We had a life, memories, and joys, but all were completely buried. Everything was gone in the blink of an eye. To create a life in there, to make every solid piece beat.

Many stories are now meaningless outside the limits of this zone; many feelings will not be felt again, many smells will be missed and gone. Nothing is left here but destruction, grief, and the endless smell of death. Every day that passes is even harder than the day before it.

More than 70% of the people sheltering are homeless and have lost their businesses. And even if they were able to rebuild, it would never be the same as it was. People have lost their lives, families, memories, belongings—things no one can replace or rebuild. Despite immense efforts from all aid agencies, children continue to suffer unspeakable daily harm. These experiences have both immediate and long-term mental and emotional consequences.

In conflicts, children are especially vulnerable and experience unique hardships compared to adults. They suffer physical harm, disruptions in healthcare and education, malnutrition, and witness traumatic events.

The only way to protect children's lives is for all parties to respect international humanitarian laws and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals and schools. All parties must focus on keeping children and families safe, ensuring urgent assistance, and bringing an end to fear and suffering.

Children are paying the highest price for a conflict they have no part in.