Simona Foltyn
The Guardian
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Past articles by Simona:
‘Heist of the century’: how $2.5bn was plundered from Iraqi state funds
Mystery surrounds embezzlement of tax revenues, which appears to have been facilitated by some of the highest offices in the country → Read More
‘It is the memory of the people’: unpacking Iraq’s artistic heritage
Culture ministry puts artworks on display once again after destruction and theft wrought by successive conflicts → Read More
‘The green land is a barren desert’: water scarcity hits Iraq’s Fertile Crescent
An inefficient 8,000 year old irrigation system combined with mismanagement has worsened the effects of drought – and cattle and crops are dying → Read More
‘Who will protect us?’: Baghdad residents wait out fighting as city grinds to halt
Shia groups are clashing in Iraqi capital and across country after struggle for power spilled to streets → Read More
‘You are not honourable anymore’: Shamed into Iraq’s sex trade
In Iraq, a special police unit is struggling to turn the tide against human trafficking and the soaring sex trade. → Read More
The Soleimani Assassination Was Supposed to Weaken Iraqi Militias. Instead, They’re Flexing Their Muscles.
As U.S. troops fend off attacks by Iran-backed militias, American and Iraqi officials worry that the groups’ growing power is destabilizing Iraq. → Read More
Iraqi women struggle to escape abuse as domestic violence rises
Some women’s rights groups in Iraq are running underground shelters, despite serious legal and security risks. → Read More
Iraq: The changing face of Baghdad's historic neighbourhoods
Concrete skeletons now punctuate a skyline previously peppered with palm trees as flats gradually usurp old homes. → Read More
Old Baghdad buildings disappear despite laws to protect heritage
Why historical buildings in Iraq's capital Baghdad are under threat and what is being done to save them. → Read More
US extends sanctions waiver allowing Iraq to import Iran gas
Previous 120-day waivers have been reduced to 30 days in what some view as part of Trump’s effort to raise pressure on Iran. → Read More
‘They are worse than Saddam’: Iraqis take to streets to topple regime
Nationalist protesters clash with security forces as the toll of dead and injured rises → Read More
Iraq's burning problem: the strange fires destroying crops and livelihoods
Fires in northern Iraq have reduced a potentially bumper harvest to ashes. The government blames mischance – but is something more sinister afoot? → Read More
Inside the Iraqi courts sentencing foreign Isis fighters to death
Campaigners accuse France of ‘outsourcing’ Isis-related trials and say suspects should not be trialled by abusive justice systems → Read More
Iraq’s Prime Minister Faces Old Challenges to Deliver on Reform
In his first hundred days on the job, Adel Abdul Mahdi has hit entrenched political roadblocks to choosing cabinet ministers and changing a system of… → Read More
Baghdad's Green Zone reopens: 'The politicians inside are sleeping on money'
For a trial period, cars are allowed in the fortified area, a move many feel does not go far enough → Read More
ISIS Has Not Vanished. It Is Fighting a Guerrilla War Against the Iraqi State.
Iraqi security forces lack the training, local knowledge, and community trust to defeat the militants. → Read More
One Possible Winner In the Iraqi Elections: Iran
Iraq’s parliamentary elections on Saturday could the shift balance of power away from the US. → Read More
Can US Sanctions on South Sudan Rein in a Nation of Warlords?
The US helped broker South Sudan’s independence only to watch it unravel into ethnic warfare. → Read More
Why is east Africa facing a hunger crisis and what can be done? – podcast
As hunger spreads in east Africa, famine threatens to take hold beyond South Sudan. Lucy Lamble explores the background and response to the crisis → Read More
'Last time I got food, armed men took everything': famine in South Sudan
With aid delivery under threat from armed gangs and terrified civilians in hiding, agencies warn that intensifying famine could become unmanageable → Read More