International agency Oxfam has reluctantly
taken the decision to temporarily withdraw our international staff from
Iraq and suspend our program due to security concerns.
Our international staff are now in Jordan
where they will continue advocacy work from Amman, aimed at a greater role
for the United Nations in Iraq, the participation of the Iraqi people in
decision-making and respect for humanitarian principles, and will be keeping
the security situation under constant review, with a view to return to
Iraq as soon as the security situation allows. Although our international
staff have been temporarily withdrawn, Oxfam remains in Iraq with local
staff still in place.
The decision to withdraw international staff was taken due to a combination of factors namely concern over the lack of security in Iraq since the end of the war. We were forced to suspend some of our work in rural villages in the south of Iraq due to insecurity. Since then there have been increasing attacks on Iraqis and foreigners living, working and traveling throughout Iraq. The level of risk to our international staff has become unacceptable.
Oxfam believes that in order to effectively address the security situation, a broader and stronger UN role is needed to pass control to the Iraqi people as soon as possible, and to demonstrate the support of the whole international community for Iraq's reconstruction. The UN should be granted the lead political role in steering international support for reconstruction. We believe that only a multi-national security force authorized by the UN Security Council will inspire international support and Iraqi acceptance. Only if the UN is given a stronger role in both these directions will the conditions for improved security come about.
Contact
For more information please contact Caroline Green on +44 1865 313 791