‘ I have no money or resources; I do this job because I care’

Cathy Otten, 31, lived in Iraqi Kurdistan from 2013 to 2017 and reported for The Independent on the war with ISIS. She is author of With Ash On Their Faces: Yezidi Women And The Islamic State.

‘I moved to Iraqi Kurdistan to cover what was then a post-conflict story. But a year later, in 2014, the city of Mosul fell to ISIS and the reporting I was doing changed dramatically. The Kurdish Peshmerga – the military forces – had a 1,000km front line with ISIS. Much of the reporting was dangerous but it was always much worse for the civilians caught up in it. I tried to focus my work on their lives and experiences.

In 2016 and 2017 I covered the Mosul battle. Civilians were killed by ISIS and coalition bombs; buildings were destroyed. It was an honour to get to know such a magnificent place and its people, but terrible to see such carnage. It was also gruelling reporting on the Yezidi women enslaved by ISIS, although what I went through was nothing compared to their suffering. Life in Iraq wasn’t always dangerous, though, and there were memorable moments with Kurdish and Iraqi colleagues who are now lifelong friends.

Why do I do it? Freelance journalists like myself, who live in the places we cover, have no money or resources. Instead, we help each other and do it because we care. I tend to work in a spontaneous way; it’s a bit fly-by-these-at-of-my-pants, and I travel light. For some trips I have a flak jacket and a helmet, and I always carry a first-aid kit, lip balm and sun cream, as well as a doorstop, because if you’re in a strange hotel where the door isn’t secure, you can wedge it closed.

I wear loose clothes and cover my arms and legs, because you don’t want to stand out in anything revealing. A long shirtdress is incredibly useful: it gives good coverage while allowing you to keep cool and move freely. I carry a headscarf in case I need to use the toilet in a mosque – often the only place to find one. I always pack Yorkshire Tea, too!’