OXFAM: Nearly a Third of Iraqis Need Immediate Emergency Help as Conflict Masks a Humanitarian Crisis, Say Oxfam and NCCI
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 20, 2007
7:35 AM
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CONTACT: OXFAM
Helen DaSilva, Press Officer Oxfam America
617-728-2409
617-331-2984
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Nearly a Third of Iraqis Need Immediate Emergency Help as Conflict Masks a Humanitarian Crisis, Say Oxfam and NCCI
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WASHINGTON - JULY 30 - The violence in Iraqis
overshadowing a humanitarian crisis, with eight million Iraqis -- nearly
one in three -- in need of emergency aid, says a report released today by
international agency Oxfam and NCCI, a network of aid organizations working
in Iraq.
The report "Rising to the Humanitarian Challenge in Iraq" says that
although the horrific security situation is the biggest problem facing most
ordinary Iraqis, the government of Iraq and other influential governments
can and must do more to meet people's basic needs for water, sanitation,
food and shelter.
According to the report:
-- Four million Iraqis -- 15% -- regularly cannot buy enough to eat.
-- 70% are without adequate water supplies, compared to 50% in 2003.
-- 28% of children are malnourished, compared to 19% before the 2003
invasion.
-- 92% of Iraqi children suffer learning problems, mostly due to the
climate of fear.
-- More than two million people -- mostly women and children -- have been
displaced inside Iraq.
-- A further two million Iraqis have become refugees, mainly in Syria and
Jordan.
Jeremy Hobbs, Director of Oxfam International, said: "The terrible
violence in Iraq has masked the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Malnutrition
among children has dramatically increased and basic services, ruined by
years of war and sanctions, cannot meet the needs of the Iraqi people.
Millions of Iraqis have been forced to flee the violence, either to another
part of Iraq or abroad. Many of those are living in dire poverty.
"Despite the terrible violence the Iraqi government, the UN and the
international community could do more to meet people's needs right now,"
Hobbs continued. "The Iraqi government must commit to helping Iraq's
poorest citizens, including the internally displaced, by extending food
parcel distribution and cash payments to the vulnerable. Western donors
must work through Iraqi and international aid organizations and develop
more flexible systems to ensure these organizations operate effectively and
efficiently.
"The fighting and weak Iraqi institutions mean there are severe limits
on what humanitarian work can be carried out. Nevertheless more can and
should be done to help the Iraqi people."
While there is an urgent need for greater humanitarian assistance,
Oxfam and NCCI believe that ending the conflict must be the top priority
for everyone involved in Iraq. The Iraqi government and US-led coalition
must also ensure their troops respect their moral and legal obligations not
to harm civilians and their property.
The Iraqi government should immediately extend its food parcel
distribution program, increase emergency cash payments and support local
aid organizations. The government should also take a more decentralized
approach and allow local authorities to deliver aid. Foreign governments,
especially the US and UK, should support Iraqi ministries in implementing
these policies.
Oxfam had staff working inside Iraq but withdrew them due to chronic
security problems. It now supports domestic and international aid agencies
that are able to operate in Iraq. Although violence and insecurity restrict
aid workers from helping Iraqis in need, an Oxfam survey in April 2007
found that over 80% of aid agencies working in Iraq could do more
humanitarian work if they had more money.
Many humanitarian organizations will not accept money from governments
that have troops in Iraq, as this could jeopardize their own security and
independence. Therefore the report urges international donor governments
that have not sent troops to Iraq to provide increased emergency funding
for humanitarian action.
For more information, to interview someone in the US or Jordan, or to
get a copy of the report, please contact: Adrienne Smith, Oxfam America,
617-728- 2406, asmith@oxfamamerica.org
Notes to Editors:
This report is jointly produced by Oxfam and the Non-Governmental
Organization, or NGO, Coordination Committee in Iraq (NCCI). The NCCI is a
network of about 80 international and 200 local NGOs, set in Baghdad
immediately after the war in 2003 to help NGOs to assess and meet the needs
of the Iraqi population. NCCI provides impartial information for NGOs
operating in Iraq and facilitates coordination of activity for NGOs in
Disaster Relief. Oxfam works with partner organizations in Iraq from a base
in Amman, Jordan. The programs supported include the provision of emergency
assistance to internally displaced people (IDPs) in central and southern
Iraq, the delivery of emergency medical supplies to hospitals and clinics
in conflict areas, and conflict resolution between the Palestinian refugees
and the Iraqi community. In addition, Oxfam works in partnership with
another international NGO to build the operational capacity of six Iraqi
NGOs in project management, governance, peace building and conflict
resolution. Oxfam has not had a staff presence in Iraq since 2003 because
of security risks.
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