Zein in front of the Monumental Arch in Baghdad

She relates her brother's concerns over the deteriorating security situation and her fears for his safety.

My brother is based in Baghdad. He left Jordan to work there three weeks ago, to help set up IT networks, because the economic situation in Jordan is not too good and he has a wife and son to support.

He felt Iraq was the land of opportunity, so went for economic reasons.

I was devastated, very scared. I thought he was out of his mind, but he said it would be OK and told me that I shouldn't watch the news.

I have told him he has to get out of there... I don't care about the money, I'd rather he starve and be alive

Now he is quite depressed. Because of all that is going on. Work is at a standstill - they are waiting for deliveries from abroad, but the trucks cannot get across the border.

He and his co-workers are not allowed to leave where they are staying.

He says Baghdad is calm, but very boring, with no nightlife. You have to be very courageous, he says, to go out at night as no-one is on the streets.

He is not used to the sounds of explosions and bullets and very grateful for every day that goes by that he is safe and sound, but there are no guarantees.

He told me that in Baghdad he's seen poverty he's never seen before in his life.

He mentioned seeing children collecting water out of puddles in the street, probably to drink. It made him feel guilty.

Scared

He and his co-workers have bodyguards, although I'm not sure how many.

A lot of things happen in Iraq that you don't see on TV

However, five days ago I was talking to him online and suddenly he says "Oh my God, they've kidnapped my roommates."

He said [insurgents] had taken the two men, although they were apparently released about 48 hours afterwards.

I asked why they had not been mentioned in the news, along with the others.

He said a lot of things happen in Iraq that you don't see on TV.

Two weeks ago, a hotel was bombed in a big explosion.

We had no contact for almost 24 hours - I couldn't sleep but then I saw him online.

He said he was less than 300 metres [a thousand feet] away from the hotel and that his life flashed before his eyes.

Fortunately, he wasn't hurt. But he was scared.

I have told him he has to get out of there. I don't care about the money, I'd rather he starve and be alive.

There's no money worth his life. I hope he knows what he's doing.