In the vast indoor Olympic swimming pool in northern Baghdad, sectarian differences are submerged after a commute which is equally dangerous for all the swimmers. Here, amid the overwhelming smell of chlorine, Hamza Hamid and his disabled swimming team colleagues are preparing for an upcoming competition.

Eight-year-old Ghada Tahseen stood silently as the doctor helped her slip on rubber overalls filled with plaster. It felt strange and uncomfortable, but she didn’t complain. ”I am really happy that I will have a new leg,” she said after a plaster model of her missing limb had been made. ”Now I can play again with my friends and go back to school.”