Appeal Number: 6801
Appeal Amount: $1 million
Situation Report
Church World Service expanded its Iraq Humanitarian Crisis Appeal (Appeal #6801, originally issued Nov. 26, 2002) in December 2002 by joining in an effort with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Jubilee Partners, the National Council of Churches (NCC), Lutheran World Relief, Sojourners and Stop Hunger Now to provide health assistance for the children of Iraq.
This campaign, "All Our Children," continues the long-term commitment of CWS and its partners to assist with ongoing humanitarian needs in Iraq, regardless of what may happen militarily in the coming weeks. (CWS has provided some $3 million in the last five years for humanitarian assistance in Iraq.)
The campaign assumes that whatever happens in Iraq, there will still be a need for medicine/health related items in Iraqi health service institutions, particularly in improving curative health services for Iraqi children. During the last 20 years, the children of Iraq have suffered at the hands of both internal and external forces. The Gulf War in 1991 and more than a decade of sanctions have followed on the heels of a protracted Iraqi war with Iran during the 1980s. Estimates of the number of children who have died run from 500,000 to more than one million.
Assessment
Local assessment by non-governmental agencies working in Iraq, including Islamic Relief/International Red Crescent Society and the Medecins du Monde indicate that pressing medical needs include: various medical vaccinations; hospital bed sheets; first aid kits; antibiotics; disposable gloves; surgical sets; working gloves; sutures; infant feeding programs and incubators.
SPECIFICS:
Non-governmental organizations working in Iraq have, through recent local assessments, identified key problems:
- In addition to diarrheal disease and
acute respiratory infection, the main health problems of Iraqi children
include: nutritional anemia, vitamin A deficiency, iodine deficiency, malaria,
leishmaniasis (kala azar) and measles.
- Chronic under-funding of the health
sector, as well as delays in the approval and delivery of essential drugs
and medical equipment, have severely compromised the health sector's capacity
to respond to a humanitarian emergency. Despite improvements in drug supply
resulting from the Oil-for-Food Program, supplies remain erratic and many
essential medications remain unavailable.
- Anecdotal evidence from interviews with
health workers suggests that hospitals in Iraq's southern and central regions
have less than 3 to 4 weeks of reserves of medical supplies, while UNICEF
and the Iraqi government's Ministry of Health report that at the present
rate of consumption vaccine and drug stocks would likely be sufficient
for only four months.
- While many hospitals now have generators
and can operate for a limited period of time without electricity, in the
event of an humanitarian emergency the current situation in hospitals and
at primary care clinics would make it difficult for medical staff to provide
even the most basic medical care to their patients.
- Close to 1 million, and possibly more,
Iraqi children have not been vaccinated against measles. Low measles vaccination
coverage rates, particularly in older children, in combination with high
rates of child malnutrition, place children in imminent danger of a measles
epidemic in the event of a war.
- Iraq's health-service infrastructure
is severely weakened when compared to 1990 levels. While most hospitals
are now equipped with generators that would enable them to function for
short periods of time, current drugs and medical supply stocks could not
withstand a sustained increase in demand for health care services (particularly
in the event of an epidemic) and it is likely that hospitals will not be
function effectively for more than one month in the event of a humanitarian
crisis.
- Iraqi children are even more vulnerable
now than they were in 1990, before the 1991 Gulf War.
- 16 million Iraqi civilians are fully
dependent on government-distributed food rations. If war breaks out, this
distribution system will be disrupted, leading to food shortages, malnutrition
and possibly starvation.
- There is only an estimated one month's
supply of food in Iraq. If war occurs, food imports will be disrupted.
Approximately 500,000 Iraqi children are acutely malnourished or underweight.
These children are particularly vulnerable to disease and death should
war occur. The health care system is worn down and only a fraction of its
pre-1991 state. The UN estimates that hospitals and clinics will run out
of medicines within 3-4 weeks of a conflict.
- The death rate of children under 5 years
of age is already 2.5 times greater than it was in 1990. Most children
(70 percent) die of diarrheal and respiratory diseases. This greater vulnerability
means greater illness and death under conflict circumstances.
- Iraq's water and sanitation systems
are badly need of repair following 12 years of sanctions. 500,000 metric
tons of raw sewage is dumped into fresh water bodies each day. Only 60
percent of Iraqis have access to fresh (potable) water. Further disruption
to these services, as occurred during the 1991 Gulf War, would be catastrophic
for Iraqi children.
- The UN estimates that a war could lead
to more than 1.4 million refugees and as many as 2 million internally displaced
persons (IDPs).
- The United Nations estimates that, in
the event of war, as many as 500,000 persons could require emergency medical
treatment.
- The level of emergency preparedness is currently very low. It will not be enough to respond to the expected humanitarian emergency.
In summary, a new war in Iraq would be catastrophic to Iraq's 13 million children, already highly vulnerable due to prolonged economic sanctions. In summary, Iraqi children are at grave risk of starvation, disease, death and psychological trauma.
Emergency Appeal
FURTHER CWS RESPONSE: In addition to this campaign to assist with the medical needs of children, CWS has to date committed the following resources:
CWS ERP International Consultant Steve Weaver has been seconded to the office of the Mennonite Central Committee in Amman, Jordan, which is serving as the coordinating office for the "All Our Children" campaign. Weaver has been in Jordan since October and will be the focal point, in cooperation with MCC, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), a long-time partner of CWS, and other local partners, for the implementation of this effort.
CWS has provided $308,000 worth of school kits which are positioned in Amman, Jordan, for distribution to children recipients.
To date CWS has also given cash grants of $48,000 to the MCC for purchasing medicines and hygiene supplies.
To date CWS has received some $75,000 in denominational assistance for this effort. Additional support is needed.
CHURCH WORLD SERVICE, IRAQ HUMANITARIAN CRISIS Account #6801, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515. Phone pledges or credit card donations can be made by calling 1-800-297-1516.
On-line contributions to: www.churchworldservice.org
For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is responding, contact CWS Emergency Response. Telephone: (212) 870-3151
Contact
Call the CWS HOTLINE for updates: (800)
297-1516.
donnajderr@aol.com
www.cwserp.org