The Iraqis' Stories: Unemployment and violence increase poverty

Mounir Zeid, 32, says he likes to remember the good old days before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Then, most people were employed and his income was enough to afford holidays abroad. Today, however, poverty has struck and he finds himself sharing one room with his four brothers.

"We were having a good life in Iraq [before 2003] - good food, nice clothes and we enjoyed travelling - but everything went out with the occupation," Zeid said.

"I and my parents lost our jobs in the government so we started to use our savings. Today, we are living in a ghetto and sometimes even breakfast has to be forgotten because there is no money for that," he added.

Zeid is typical of millions of Iraqis struggling to cope with rising levels of poverty, largely as a result of unemployment.

"Every day you can see families searching for houses in the ghetto areas because they have lost what they had and are joining the new Iraq truth," Zeid said.

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