baghdad. government salaries weren t being paid. people saw their salaries slashed 50%. the economy took a nose dive. items that were subsidized like electricity and such were no longer being subsidized by the government. over the course of the years, the vast majority of middle class and lower class income families just saw everything that they had worked so hard for completely evaporate, and they also lost hope in their own government. and their own government s ability to actually alter the trajectory of their lives. and that s why you see them taking onto this desperate journey. none of this is going to change unless the core issues are addressed. absolutely. all right, arwa damon for us in istanbul, thank you. the afghan girl made famous, remember, by this iconic 1985 national geographic cover has been granted refugee status in italy. sherbat gula is her name.