There
is a growing humanitarian crisis
in Iraq. As the question of troop
withdrawal becomes more about
"when" not "if,"
Americans must face the fastest
growing refugee crisis in the
world- and we must do something
about it.
Click
here to donate
to help Iraqi women and children
refugees and internally displaced
persons.
COLLATERAL
DAMAGE
War is hell, and this hell can be especially
deep for mothers. Less than $600 million
(less than the $720m
the U.S. spends each day to wage the war) has
been slated for emergency relief, basic health
services and education for the millions of Iraqis
who have been forced from their homes and are
now living abroad or are Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs).
COLLATERAL REPAIR
CODEPINK is honored
to be partnering with the "Collateral
Repair Project," a grassroots
movement created to provide support to the milions
of Iraqis who had to leave behind their homes
and crumbling communities and are trying to feed,
clothe and educate their families in the wake
of a violent occupation. Medea Benjamin,
CODEPINK cofounder will be traveling to
Syria and Jordan to meet with our partners at
Collateral
Repair Project and other groups to
share stories and see what we as Americans can
do to stand in solidarity with our Iraqi sisters
and brothers. Read the first of Medea's report
back from her trip here.
LEARN MORE
The
Geneva Conventions stipulate that,
"A
force occupying territory has a duty to supply
the population with food and medicine "to
the fullest extent of the means available to it"
(G4, art. 55). If any part of the population of
an occupied territory is inadequately supplied,
the occupying power shall facilitate relief by
humanitarian agencies (G4, art. 59). However,
the provision of assistance by humanitarian agencies
does not relieve the occupying force of its responsibilities
to meet the needs of the population."
(Excerpt from Human Rights Watch)
Although it was predicted and became true that the US invasion would
provoke a humanitarian crisis in Iraq, no one
prepared for what has become the fastest growing
refugee crisis in the world. Today, 8 million
Iraqis live in poverty and more than 15% of the
population have fled their homes. More than 2
million have sought refuge in neighboring countries
and an estimated 2.4 million are internally displaced.
Despite urging from many different quarters that
economic development and reconstruction are key
to stabilizing Iraq, Iraqis are left with inadequate
support from the Iraqi Government, the UN, the
US or other international donors. According to
the recent Testimony of Bill Frelick before the
Congressional Human Rights Caucus,
"The
Bush Administration has boosted its 2008 emergency
request to fund the Iraq and Afghan wars to
$196.4 billion, bringing the total price tag
to more than $800 billion. Less than one-fifth
of 1 percent of that request, $240 million-less
than the amount the U.S. spends each day to
wage the war-is slated for emergency relief,
basic health services and education for the
4.4 million Iraqis who have been forced from
their homes. While the Administration's war
spending could be characterized as profligate,
it has been pinching pennies when it comes to
meeting the war's human costs. Its humanitarian
response has not only been stingy, but prosaic."
Jordan, Syria and even provinces within Iraq
have closed their doors to Iraqi refugees because
of the lack of international assistance to help
provide for the massive influx of Iraqis fleeing
from their homes. Recent reports from the Iraqi
Government, UN agencies and international NGOs
all warn of the threat to Iraq's orphaned and
vulnerable children.
Resources
Below are links
to recent reports & studies, statistics, articles,
and NGOs providing information on the current
humanitarian crisis in Iraq, with special emphasis
on the growing refugee crisis.
Fact
Sheets
These handouts give an overview to the consequences
of the U.S. invasion and occupation from an Iraqi
perspective. The refugee crisis piece outlines the
humanitarian catastrophe of the war, and the refugee
resettlement piece talks about Iraqi families coming
to the United States and tells people what they
can do to support this growing community. It includes
a seven-point section on the path forward.
A
Surge for Refugees
New York Times Editorial, April 22, 2008
"IT is a grave humanitarian crisis: 1.5
million Iraqi refugees living in deplorable
and declining conditions in Syria and Jordan."
Refugees?
What Refugees
New York Times Opinion, September 27, 2007
The I-told-you-so phase of the Iraq invasion
is thankfully ending. What is needed now is
consensus on American responsibility. That starts
with a more open door to Iraqis in flight. Mr.
President, say something.
Doors
closing on Iraqi displaced
BBC - October 10, 2007
A growing number of Iraqi provinces are refusing
entry to displaced people, the UN refugee agency
has said. The head of the UNHCR Iraq Support
Unit told the BBC up to 11 governors were restricting
access because they lacked resources to look
after the refugees.
Reports
& Studies
Uprooted
and Unstable: The Refugee Crisis in Iraq
Refugees International, 4/15/2008
Describes a vacuum of humanitarian assistance
created by the failure of the Iraqi government
and the international community to administer
aid to civilians.
The
Human Cost of War: The Iraqi Refugee Crisis
Testimony of Bill Frelick before the Congressional
Human Rights Caucus
Bill Frelick delivered testimony at the November
15, 2007, member briefing of the Congressional
Human Rights Caucus. The briefing updated Caucus
members on the situation of the estimated 4.4
million Iraqi refugees and internally displaced
persons in the region.
Lack
of money, visa problems prompting Iraqi refugees
to return home IRIN reports (November 22nd) : Lack of funds
and the Syrian government's refusal to renew
their visas, more than the perception of improved
security in Iraq, are prompting some Iraqi refugees
in Syria to return to Iraq, according to personal
refugee accounts and figures from the UN Refugee
Agency (UNHCR).
Global
Policy Forum: Iraq's Humanitarian Crisis:
The international relief system has not been
able to respond to the growing humanitarian
challenges. International agencies have themselves
faced serious problems in reaching Iraqis at
risk. Iraq's humanitarian emergency has reached
a crisis level that compares with some of the
world's most urgent calamities.
(This site also contains an excellent archive
of recent reports and articles)
Iraqi
Refugees: A Lot of Talk, Little Action
Refugees International, 11/14/2007
The situation for Iraqi refugees in the Middle
East continues to deteriorate, while the scale
of the crisis continues to dwarf the international
response. As the number of displaced Iraqis
has reached an unprecedented level - more than
4.5 million - Iraq's neighbors have increased
restrictions on the refugees. These restrictions
are at least partially a response to the lack
of support received from the United States and
other donor governments, as well as the government
of Iraq itself, to lessen the tremendous burden
that the host countries are assuming.
Oxfam
Reports Growing Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq
By Damien Cave, July 31, 2007
Poverty, hunger and public health continue to
worsen in Iraq, according to a report released
Monday by Oxfam International, which says that
more aid is needed from abroad and calls on
the Iraqi government to decentralize the distribution
of food and medical supplies.
Iraqi
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons: A
Deepening Humanitarian Crisis?
Congressional Research Service for the People,
October 3, 2007
Summary: The humanitarian crisis many feared
would take place in March 2003 as a result of
the war in Iraq continues to unfold as a result
of post-war insurgency and sectarian violence.
It is estimated that in total (including those
displaced prior to the war) there may be as
many as 2 million Iraqi refugees who have fled
to Jordan, Syria, and other neighboring states,
and approximately 2.2 million Iraqis who have
been displaced within Iraq itself. This report
provides an analysis of the current crisis,
including the conditions for those displaced
in Iraq and the refugee situations in Syria,
Jordan, and elsewhere.
UN
warns of growing humanitarian crisis in occupied
Iraq
By Kate Randall, 26 April 2007
A new United Nations report on human rights
in Iraq paints a devastating portrait of the
conditions of life facing the civilian population
as the US occupation enters its fifth year.
The report from the UN Assistance Mission for
Iraq (UNAMI) covers the period from January
1 to March 31, 2007, which includes the beginning
of the Bush administration's Baghdad "surge,"
Operation Law and Order.
A
Displacement Crisis
Internal Displacement Monitoring Center ,March
30 2007
More than 727,000 people are estimated to have
been internally displaced due to sectarian and
generalised violence in Iraq between February
2006 and March 2007. Together with tens of thousands
more displaced by ongoing military operations,
and more than one million by the abuses of the
former regime of Saddam Hussein, this leads
to a total of nearly 1.9 million people currently
estimated to be displaced within Iraq. In addition,
some 2 million Iraqis fled to neighbouring countries
as of March 2007.
Council
for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA) Online Petition in Support of the Future
of Academic Freedom in Iraq
CARA is doing considerable work to raise awareness
of the plight of Iraqi academics and what can
only be described as the wholesale destruction
of the Iraqi education system. Over 280 Iraqi
academics have been assassinated since 2003
and thousands more have fled to neighbouring
countries and beyond.This petition aims to highlight
the UK government's responsibility and role
in safeguarding and supporting them in the immediate,
to ensure they survive to fulfil their crucial
role in the future reconstruction of Iraq's
higher education sector. SIGN CARA's online
petition in support of Academic Freedom in Iraq.
Videos & Multimedia Projects
Fleeing
to Jordan
Current TV, By Jennifer Jo Utz
An in depth look at one refugee family and the
many levels of challenges that face them was
an effective way at illuminating the predicament
of Iraqi emmigrants.
On April 30. 2008, a photo exhibit highlighting
the desperate seriousness of the Iraqi Refugee
Crisis was held on Capitol Hill. Rep. Alcee
L. Hastings (D-FL) was one of the speakers at
the affair. Ms. Gabriela Bulisova photographed
the refugees at sites she recently visited in
both Iraq and Syria.
There
is a growing humanitarian crisis
in Iraq. As the question of troop
withdrawal becomes more about
"when" not "if,"
Americans must face the fastest
growing refugee crisis in the
world- and we must do something
about it.
Fact
Sheets
