ABSTRACT

In late November 2012, half a dozen disabled men went on a hunger strike in the city of Sulaimaniya, one of the largest cities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. They spent their days sitting in a tent, occasionally hosting guests who joined them in drinking water and banana-flavored milk drinks. Outside, on the streets and in front of government buildings, dozens of people marched in support of the men and the rights of the disabled, calling for more government assistance in meeting their needs.