Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Baszn Ozeti
had erupted in the wake of the Iraqi defeat in Kuwait. There were heavy casualties and many Shi'a opponents of
the Baghdad regime fled to the predominantly Kurdish north but also to the marshlands, located in the south of
Iraq between the TIgris and Euphrates rivers. The Iraqi government then ordered the burning and shelling of villages,
and had dams built to divert water from the marshes, therefore depriving the Shi'ites of food and cover
(USCR 1995 & 2000 & US DOS 5 September 2(00). Another cause of displacement in the south has been the forced
relocation to their home provinces of thousands of Gulf War refugees who had sought haven in Baghdad (US
DOS 25 February 2(00).
Information on human rights violations in Iraq is difficult to obtain, since the government does not allow human
rights experts to travel outside Baghdad and that neighboring countries often refuse to allow passage to the north
of Iraq. However, opposition groups based outside Iraq manage to relay information from their supporters inside
government-controlled Iraq (US DOS 25 February 2000 & HRW December 1999).In addition to forcible expulsions
based on ethnic origin, Amnesty International reported gross human rights violations in Iraq, ranging from
arbitrary arrest and detention, to torture, extrajudicial executions and disappearances (AI 24 November 1999).
Living conditions of the Iraqi population are often very difficult whether they are displaced or not. The Gulf war
severely damaged Iraq's infrastructure, interrupting the power supply and consequently the operation of pumping
and treatment facilities. This has led to an overall deterioration in the quality and quantity of drinking water
and the rapid spread of infectious diseases, such as cholera (ICRC 14 March 2(00). A 1999 UNICEF survey reported
that in government-controlled Iraq infant mortality increased from 47 to 108 deaths per 1000 live births, while
child mortality increased from 56 to 131 deaths per 1,000 live births between the 1984-89 and 1994-1999 periods
(UNICEF 27 August 1999). The 1980s-built internally displaced persons camps, primarily in the south of Iraq, have
running streams of raw sewage between housing blocs, and untreated standing sewage water with enormous
potential for disease (AFSC 21 March 2000).
In northern Iraq shelter conditions for the internally displaced are deteriorating and many have to live in tents or
in open, unheated public buildings. The Head of UN Programs in Iraq is concerned about the increasing number
of internally displaced and the lack of housing possibilities for the new comers (UNCHS December 2000 &
Crossette 11 December 2000). However, many internally displaced persons don't have the possibility to go back
to their former home in northern Iraq. The region was heavily mined during the Iran-Iraq war and additional
landmines were laid during the Kurdish uprising (U.S. DOS 1998). According to the UN Secretary General, clearing
these minefields would take between 35 and 75 years (UN SC 19 November 1998).
International response to humanitarian needs in Iraq and to internal displacement is limited due to the fact that
the Iraqi government severely restricts access to international NGOs and to the UN. Only seven international
NGOs have permission to operate in government-controlled Iraq (USCR 2000). The government also reportedly
harassed and intimidated relief workers and U.N. personnel throughout the country and the U.N. Special
Rapporteur has been repeatedly denied entry to Iraq since 1992 (US DOS 25 February 2000 & Foreign &
Commonwealth Office November 2000). In June 2000, two staff members of the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) were shot dead in Baghdad and six others wounded (FAO 30 June 2(00).
In December 2000 the UN Security Council decided to extend for 180 days the oil-for-food program, a temporary
measure first implemented in 1996 to alleviate some of the needs of the Iraqi people and to mitigate the impact of
the sanctions (UN SC 5 December 2000). Sanctions toward Iraq have caused great concern among the international
community, especially since they are reported to have a dire humanitarian impact on the civilian population, despite
the oil-for-food program. WFP is responsible for food distribution in northern Iraq and for observing the adequacy
of rations in government-controlled areas (WFP 2000). Habitat (UNCHS) assists in implementing the settlement
rehabilitation component of the Oil-for-Food Program and focused in 1999 on rehabilitating housing, infrastructure
and community services to enable internally displaced persons to resettle on a permanent basis (UNCHS
December 2000 & UN SC 18 May 1999). Government and international NGO activities aim to complement the Oilfor-Food
Program. The EU is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to Iraq and focuses on the center and south of
Iraq, while ICRC & IFRC have an assistance program for the internally displaced population in northern Iraq (EU
June 2000 & ICRC 31 August 2000).
* * * * *
25