Memorandum from Sir Harold Walker
FOREIGN POLICY
ASPECTS OF
WAR AGAINST
TERRORISM—HUMANITARIAN
CONSIDERATIONS
In the course of his courteous treatment of
witnesses today, for which I am grateful, the Chairman indicated
that witnesses could submit in writing points that had been covered
in the oral exchanges.
In the course of my evidence I mentioned a number
of considerations that should in my opinion cause people to conclude
not necessarily that military action against Iraq should be abandoned
altogether but that it should be thought of as a last, not a first
resort, I should like to add to my list of considerations the
humanitarian ones set out in a paper (enclosed) that was issued
on 23 September by a number of non-governmental organisations
working in Iraq. I should be grateful if this paper could be found
a place in the Report of the Committee.
I declare an interest in the sense that until
November 2001 I was for four years chairman of the board of CARE
International.
Sir Harold Walker
24 October 2002
UNITED NGO STATEMENT
ON IRAQ
Signed by Save the Children UK, CARE International
UK, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Tearfund, Help Age International, Islamic
Relief and 4Rs.
Based on the experience of our agencies and
their partner organisations on the ground in Iraq we, the undersigned
organisations, fear that a new war on Iraq risks deepening and
extending the current humanitarian crisis: creating large numbers
of civilian casualties and extending human suffering. We have
serious concerns about a new war for the following reasons:
— There is a high possibility of
large numbers of civilian casualties. Aerial bombardment,
followed by the ground war that would be necessary to achieve
the stated aim of some major powers of "regime change,"
would place large numbers of civilians—particularly in densely
populated urban areas—in grave danger.
— Years of war and sanctions have
already created an extremely vulnerable population whose ability
to cope with any additional hardship is very limited. This
includes children, who make up almost half of Iraqi society, widows,
the elderly and the poor. Child mortality rates have risen by
160 per cent under sanctions. According to UNICEF: "If the
substantial reduction in child mortality throughout Iraq during
the 1980's had continued through the 1990's there would have been
500,000 fewer deaths of children under five in the country as
a whole during 1991-98." (UNICEF, 1999)
— Extensive and prolonged conflict
risks undermining the essential supply of food and medicine to
Iraqi civilians. The populations in the Kurdish North and
the Centre/South already rely on monthly, imported food rations
under the Oil for Food Programme. These rations last only three
weeks on average. If the ration is cut in an emergency, monthly
salaries of $3-$6 on average would be sufficient to purchase food
from local markets. 30 per cent of children are already chronically
malnourished (UNICEF, 2002). If the war is prolonged the risks
of serious disruption of, and access to, local markets for essential
food supplies will rise.
— Extensive and prolonged conflict
would threaten key infrastructure. Water quality is already
very poor for many Iraqis and the prime contributory cause of
death for children. Risks of major health problems caused by further
disruptions to water supplies and erosion of water quality would
increase significantly if pumping stations and sewage treatment
plants ceased functioning. Electricity infrastructure is vital
for those installations, as well as for hospitals, but could become
a military target—as occurred during the Gulf War—in
any conflict.
— Iraq already has approximately
700,000 internally displaced people. Increased conflict could
lead to massive population displacement with catastrophic consequences
if these people's access to food is cut off, or they find themselves
trapped at closed borders. The heavily mined border not only poses
a threat to those fleeing conflict but will cause major impediments
to providing humanitarian supplies from external sources. A winter
campaign would add to humanitarian problems, as this region would
be heavily snowbound.
— Conflict has wider humanitarian
implications. The wider repercussions of war will be felt
throughout the region. We are concerned that the war could destabilise
the region, and sow the seeds of future humanitarian crises.
We urge the British government not merely to
take effective steps to avoid exacerbating the current humanitarian
crisis but the seek ways to improve the humanitarian situation,
while pursuing a diplomatic solution to the current crisis. The
current focus on the government's "dossier of evidence,"
weapons inspectors and Iraqi disarmament should not detract from
the urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis that has been
unfolding in Iraq for the last 12 years.
United NGO Statement on Iraq
23 September 2002
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