Iraq
Dr. Hussein Karim, a specialist at Baghdad’s Ibn al-Haytham eye hospital, examines a child’s injured eye on January 1, 2026. Photo: screengrab/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A child lost his eyesight during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Iraq after a firework explosion, as hospitals across the country treated more than 300 people injured in incidents linked to fireworks, celebratory gunfire, and traffic accidents while the nation welcomed 2026.
Doctors at Baghdad’s Ibn al-Haitham eye hospital said they received multiple critical cases on the night of December 31. Dr. Hussein Karim, a specialist at the hospital, said four severe cases were admitted on New Year’s Eve alone, including a two-and-a-half-year-old child who was rushed into surgery.
"We told the family that there is no hope left for the child's eye; even if we perform surgery to repair the external appearance of the eye, the hope of sight has been lost forever,” Dr. Karim told Rudaw on Thursday.
While many marked the New Year with parties and celebrations, several families in Baghdad were instead confronting life-altering tragedies. One of the painful cases was shared by Sara Ali, the mother of a severely injured child, who described how a moment meant for joy suddenly turned into disaster.
“We buy fireworks every year to make our children happy. My son and my husband were holding the firework when it exploded. I urge all families not to buy these things. We considered them as something fun, but they turned out to be terrifying,” she told Rudaw.
According to official figures from the Iraqi Ministry of Health, at least 300 people were injured by fireworks during the New Year’s Eve celebrations marking the transition from 2025 to 2026, with 267 of those cases recorded in Baghdad alone.
The ministry also reported that 43 people were injured by celebratory gunfire and taken to hospitals, while 140 others were hurt in traffic accidents that same night.
Health officials warn that fireworks-related injuries continue to rise each year despite public warnings and heightened hospital preparedness.
Although the Ministry of Health places medical facilities on high alert during major holidays, doctors say negligence and the failure to follow safety measures repeatedly turn a night of celebration into tragedy.
Ziad Ismail contributed to this report from Baghdad.
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