When the United States and its allies invaded Iraq in March 2003, life in the Middle Eastern country changed dramatically. Since then, thousands of families have lost loved ones, whether in battle or from violence between Iraqis. Everyone lives in constant uncertainty.
Last month, TIME FOR KIDS met Dania Ali, 11. She lives in Baghdad, Iraq's capital, with her parents and younger brother, Hussein, 7. Dania loves English, computers, her family and her cell phone. She hates physics, memorizing facts and being stuck at home. She hopes to be a pediatrician when she grows up.
One day near Dania's school, police were fighting with insurgents, the rebels who oppose Iraq's new government. The police scrambled into Dania's school to hide from the insurgents, which frightened her. "It is very hard on us, this situation," Dania told TFK. "All we do is stay inside. We used to go out and play with our friends all the time. I would go back to those days if we could."