With no sign of a let-up in the conflict in Iraq, members of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International working in the country have had to review their programs, pulling out international staff and, in at least one instance, considering suspending operations.
The hostage taking in Iraq, combined with an escalation of hostilities in general, have compelled DanChurchAid (DCA) to seriously re-consider its international presence in Iraq (Basra), reports DCAs Relief Coordinator, Lennart Skov-Hansen. DCA has been operating in Basra in the field of water and sanitation repair. The security situation has deteriorated during the last couple of weeks, not only in the Sunni Triangle but now also in the Shiite dominated southern Iraq. There is little expectation that the situation might improve much before July 1st, when the Coalition Force is handing over the governing of the country to the Iraqi people, says Skov-Hansen. Therefore, DCA has decided not to continue its operational activities in Iraq and will not allow its international staff to re-occupy positions in Basra as long as the direct threats in terms of hostage-taking of internationals prevail, he adds. A final decision about the possibility of suspending DCAs activities will be taken by the latest on April 30, after thorough consideration of the security situation and after consultation with its partners and donors.
International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) however continues its program in Iraq, but reports that its one international staff member has been pulled out temporarily from Baghdad due to the deteriorating security situation and the growing threat on the lives of foreigners after a number of kidnapping incidents.
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) reports that as of mid-April, all foreign staff based either in Basra or Baghdad had been temporarily withdrawn. However, Iraqi staff members in NCAs Basra and Baghdad offices continue with the implementation of their programs. However, Ellen Dahl, NCAs program coordinator for Iraq, reports that in Baghdad staff are saying that restriction of movement is affecting water repair projects in Al Anbar and Diyala. Projects in the Baghdad area are running as planned, including the Youth House and the Seasons Art School. Dahl adds that contacts with local churches and organisations continue.
Regarding the security situation, Dahl reports that NCA had planned for the return of the Basra international staff this week after reports from various sources that the situation in Basra had been relatively calm compared to other parts of the country. But in view of the recent developments, we have postponed our plans to return the international staff members. Should a security assessment indicate that it is safe for international staff to return, Dahl says that these staff members will not be able to travel outside of Basra City itself. Projects in Missan and Al Amarah will have to be implemented by local (Iraqi) staff. No international staff will return to Baghdad for the time being.
Local ACT member Middle East Council of Churches maintains its presence in Iraq, while Diakonie Austria reports that its school construction program in the As Hillah area is still on track and will hopefully be completed by the end of May.
Meanwhile, ACT member Christian Aid (CA), which works through local partners Iraqi Kurdish NGO Network (IKNN) and Rehabilitation, Education and Community Health (REACH) in Iraq, reports that a survey it had commissioned earlier showed that life is worse for many of Iraqs poor.
The Baghdad Vulnerability Survey concludes that poor Iraqis suffered enormously under Saddam Husseins regime, yet the present stage of reconstruction is in some ways even more difficult. During the Saddam years, the war was at the front line; now it has moved into their own streets.
In one of the first ever large-scale surveys of the living conditions of poor Iraqis, CA reports that its partner, IKNN, interviewed around 1,000 families in eight of Baghdads poorest, predominantly Shia neighborhoods. The report quotes CA Middle East expert, Sue Turrel, as saying, before the fall of Saddam Hussein, the whole of Iraqi society suffered years of war and sanctions, but its poorest people were hit particularly severely. In Baghdad, the Shia south was systematically deprived of services and investment as a way of suppressing local resistance to Saddam Husseins regime.
CA says that the survey looked at aspects of the lives of families who depended on outside help – such as food handouts or cash donations from friends or relatives and in particular looked at the situation of women and children. According to CA, the results presented a stark picture of miserable living conditions, now greatly exacerbated by insecurity, crime, economic uncertainty, unemployment, inadequate public services and poor housing. The report states that mass redundancy and rising living costs mean that more than half the families surveyed need financial help to survive.
Other conclusions are that families prioritized clothing, transport, health and education needs as most urgent. Childrens education is being severely disrupted. Almost two-thirds of school-age children in the families surveyed were not attending school full time. The reasons given included poor standards of education, dilapidated school buildings and children forced to work to boost family income. Poor water supply affects most of the families interviewed, many of which now have no functioning sewerage system. Years of neglect left many water supplies contaminated with sewage. Most families surveyed live in just one or two rooms and many homes lacked basic facilities such as water, sanitation and ventilation.
Kilde: Action by Churches Together International
