Memorandum submitted by Christian Aid
INTRODUCTION
1. Christian Aid is the official relief
and development agency of 40 British and Irish churches, working
where the need is greatest in 60 countries worldwide and helping
communities of all religions and those with none. Christian Aid
is also a key member of Action by Churches Together (ACT), a world
alliance of church-based humanitarian agencies.
2. Christian Aid's programme in Iraq is
located in the autonomous Kurdish region of Northern Iraq. Since
1992 Christian Aid has supported local NGOs in a range of rehabilitation
and development activities, focusing on sustainable rural livelihoods,
building civil society and promoting human rights in partnership
with such local organisations as the Rehabilitation, Education
and Community Health organisation (REACH), Zakho Small Villages
Project (ZSVP), and the Iraqi Kurdish NGO Network (IKNN). Christian
Aid is exploring the possibility of working with the Iraqi Refugee
Aid Council (IRAC), providing humanitarian assistance to Iraqi
refugees in Iran. Christian Aid also supports the Middle East
Council of Churches. Elsewhere in the region, Christian Aid works
with partner organisations in Israel, in the occupied Palestinian
Territories, Lebanon, and Egypt. Christian Aid has developed considerable
expertise in responding to complex emergencies in the Middle East/Central
Asia/Eastern Europe region as a result of our humanitarian response
work during the Afghanistan conflict in 2001, in Kosovo in 1999,
and through our support for ongoing humanitarian relief operations
in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.
3. Christian Aid is deeply concerned about
the humanitarian consequences of military action against Iraq
for a population dependent on external assistance and on a crumbling
infrastructure close to collapse. In view of the possible magnitude
of these consequences, we believe it is imperative to seek a peaceful
settlement to the current crisis through the UN. We do not believe
that the peaceful alternatives to conflict have yet been exhausted.
4. In summary, Christian Aid is responding
to the threat of humanitarian crisis in Iraq in four ways.
— It is undertaking lobbying and campaigning
to ensure that the UK government and the international community
at large fully explore and exhaust all peaceful strategies through
the UN to solve the current crisis.
— It is supporting its partner organisations
in Northern Iraq and in the region in their humanitarian response
plans.
— It is making plans to provide humanitarian
assistance in the event of war in central and southern Iraq and
Baghdad through Iraqi organisations, sister agencies in the ACT
family and through the Middle East Council of Churches.
— It is engaging with other humanitarian
actors, including the UK government, inter-governmental agencies,
and governments in the Middle East region to establish what contingencies
they foresee and what plans they are making both for during any
conflict and particularly for the post-conflict/rehabilitation
phase.
5. Christian Aid's preparations for a potential
humanitarian crisis are in accordance with the Code of Conduct
for international NGOs in Disaster Relief. This Code advises humanitarian
agencies to "take all possible steps . . . to prevent or
alleviate suffering arising out of conflict and calamity and act
with sufficient independence to ensure that impartiality, assistance
solely on the basis of need, is realised"[1].
The fact that Christian Aid is making contingency plans does not
mean that we endorse military action. We shall continue to urge
governments to pursue peaceful routes to solving this crisis through
the UN, precisely because of our concerns about the serious humanitarians
consequences of war.
THE HUMANITARIAN
CONSEQUENCES IN
IRAQ AS
A WHOLE
6. An over-riding factor for those involved
in humanitarian contingency planning is the particularly vulnerable
state of the Iraqi population at present, even before a potential
war. This vulnerability is the result of 12 years of economic
sanctions in addition to the discriminatory nature of Iraqi government
policies. Responding to the question of whether humanitarian agencies
are exaggerating the impact of war, a representative of the Iraqi
Al Amal association recently commented to Christian Aid, `If this
war goes wrong, it will be absolutely disastrous for the Iraqi
population. If it doesn't go wrong, it will still be bad enough.
After 12 years of sanctions, the Iraqi population is extremely
vulnerable. Even minimum damage from the war would produce immense
needs and require huge support from the international community.'
7. Christian Aid emphasises that even if
the war itself is short, the humanitarian crisis is likely to
last for a considerable length of time, given the war economy
in which Iraqis are already living and the dependence on external
assistance.
8. Access to food for Iraq's largely urban
population is a particular cause for concern. Most of Iraq's food
is currently imported under the UN Oil For Food programme and
14-16 million Iraqis[2]
(two thirds of the population) now depend on UN rations for their
survival. UNICEF[3]
reports that some 18 million of Iraq's 24 million population are
food insecure and would hence be particularly vulnerable if the
present UN Oil for Food programme is suspended or supply lines
are severed. The World Food Programme's assessment[4]
of food insecurity levels shows that even in low to mid-case scenarios,
a population from 4.9 to 9.6 million would immediately become
vulnerable in the event of conflict in Iraq. This figure would
comprise different categories of affected civilians, including
war-affected, Internally Displaced Persons, asylum seekers, and
refugees fleeing into neighbouring countries.
9. It is possible that a large segment of
the population will require treatment for traumatic injuries as
a result of military action. The World Health Organisation (WHO)
estimates that as many as 500,000 people may need medical treatment.
10. If electricity installations are attacked,
access to water and sanitation would become a critical issue as
water pumping and treatment stations rely on electricity to function
and would cease to operate once back-up generators had run out
of fuel.
11. A leaked, unofficial UN report produced
in December 2002 (Likely Humanitarian Scenarios 10 December 2002)
estimates that 2 million people could be internally displaced,
some of whom may well become refugees. It predicts that some 900,000
refugees may seek shelter in bordering states, though it acknowledges
that numbers of refugees cannot be predicted with any confidence.
Christian Aid reminds states bordering on Iraq that they have
obligations under international law to provide refuge and assistance
to those fleeing a conflict in Iraq. Christian Aid is concerned
that many border areas lie in bleak, desert terrain where no infrastructure
exists, making the need for adequate preparations for the reception
of refugees all the more urgent. Barrier minefields along the
Iranian border and along the dividing line with the three northern
governorates (laid mainly during the Iran-Iraq war, and by Turkish
troops against Kurdish populations in south east Turkey respectively)
present an additional hazard to refugees and Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs).
REGIONAL REPERCUSSIONS
12. Christian Aid is extremely concerned
about the regional repercussions of war across the Middle East.
There is a risk of political and economic shocks in neighbouring
states and in Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories with potentially
unstoppable humanitarian ramifications. The situation is already
critical for Palestinian populations in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories as indicated in a recent Christian Aid report on poverty
in these territories, `Losing Ground' (Christian Aid, January
2003). Some Christian Aid partners have voiced fears that the
Israeli government will take advantage of the focus on a conflict
in Iraq to make day-to-day life in the Palestinian Occupied Territories
even more impossible. The current Iraq crisis and the now critical
humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian Occupied Territories therefore
add even greater urgency to the need to find a peaceful, political
solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
A key to lasting peace and justice in the Middle East is an end
to Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian territories through
a peace process based on international law. The international
community must ensure that UN resolutions are upheld by Israel
as well as by Iraq.
THE HUMANITARIAN
CONSEQUENCES OF
MILITARY ACTION
IN NORTHERN
IRAQ: THE
ASSESSMENT OF
CHRISTIAN AID
PARTNERS
13. Christian Aid's assessment of the humanitarian
consequences of military action in Northern Iraq is based on recent
and direct communication with partner organisations in the field.
For example, on 27 January Christian Aid held a consultation with
22 local NGOs in Suleimaniyah. This preceded earlier meetings
with partner organisations and sister agencies in Jordan and Syria
in December 2002.
14. Christian Aid's partner organisations
in Northern Iraq have indicated that they are not anticipating
such severe humanitarian consequences as may occur in central
or southern Iraq. Their predictions are based on the assumption
that the conflict is likely to focus on the centre and south of
Iraq. Nevertheless, they remain extremely concerned about the
impact of an imminent war on their lives and are making contingency
plans accordingly. They are fearful of a potential pre-emptive
attack on the region by Iraqi forces if a military offensive starts,
particularly on the three major urban settlements of Suleimaniyah,
Dohuk and Erbil. They are worried that such attacks may be chemical
or biological. They are also concerned about the Turkish government's
role and intentions in the event of a war.
15. Considerable concerns have been expressed
about the food security of individual households in Northern Iraq,
given the levels of dependency on rations delivered under the
Oil for Food programme. WFP have distributed three months food
in advance, and these are now within each household. It is hoped
this will avert a short-term food crisis. After this initial three-month
period, there is likely to be a food crisis throughout Iraq, including
Northern Iraq, if the distribution system established under the
Oil for Food programme breaks down or if WFP has no means of transferring
prepositioned food to where it is needed.
16. The food situation could become more
critical in Northern Iraq if there is a need to provide for an
influx of IDPs from elsewhere in Iraq, in addition to meeting
the needs of the existing population in this region. The PUK local
authority in Northern Iraq is preparing for a possible influx
of one million IDPs and is setting up ten camps with funds from
the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
17. Water distribution in Iraqi Kurdistan
is extremely fragile, partly because of damage inflicted on the
distribution system during the 1991 uprising against Saddam Hussein.
Any disruption to the system as a result of military action is
likely to have severe public health consequences. Nevertheless,
improvements to the electrical infrastructure in recent years
may mitigate water-related public health problems. Under the Oil
for Food programme, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
was responsible for the rehabilitation of the electrical grid
in Northern Iraq. This involved importing considerable numbers
of 50-100 kilowatt generators capable of running localised water
distribution. The generators are placed beside pumping stations
and artesian wells.
18. Considerable work has been undertaken
in recent years to identify local sources of water across Iraqi
Kurdistan and to protect local springs which can be run by local
community structures to provide clean water and distribute it
equitably. A programme currently funded by DFID and administered
by Christian Aid has now extended to 102 communities serving 1,054,740
beneficiaries—about a quarter of the population. This work
has been carried out mainly by local NGOs and local municipal
councils. These sources of water will remain safe and independent
so long as the water table is not contaminated by nuclear, chemical
or biological agents.
19. Because the water system in Iraqi Kurdistan
is now more localized, outbreaks of water borne diseases and/or
other consequences of military action will be easier to contain
if the systems for sharing essential health information are good.
The information systems will have to rely on community organizations.
If there is a breakdown of local government structures, humanitarian
agencies need to monitor this information closely.
20. Critical to this is the development
of health preparedness systems, especially the pre-positioning
of antibiotics and oral hydration therapies, and water testing
and chlorination packs. There is considerable local experience
of managing these systems.
CHRISTIAN AID'S
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
21. Christian Aid remains deeply concerned
for the people of central and southern Iraq, especially the Shia
populations who may become particular targets of pre-emptive strikes
by Saddam Hussein. However, Christian Aid has not been able to
work directly with any organisations in central or southern Iraq
in recent years. This is because the Iraqi government does not
permit organisations working in Northern Iraq to operate in government-controlled
areas.
22. In the event of a humanitarian crisis
arising from war, Christian Aid will provide support wherever
it can be of effective help. We will support partner organisations
in Northern Iraq with the provision of water, sanitation, non-food
items, watsan, emergency hard shelters and healthcare for IDPs.
23. Christian Aid's support for REACH will
build on an existing community-based water resource management
project funded by DFID. Sanitation facilities are to be upgraded
and essential items prepositioned so that identified community-based
organisations can provide shelter to some 10,000 displaced people.
Christian Aid is also supporting a health training programme coordinated
by four local NGOs designed to help local communities mitigate
the effects of a potential chemical or biological attack.
24. Funds have been released to the Iraqi
Kurdistan NGO Network (IKNN) to cover the operating costs involved
in coordinating a local NGO response to a possible humanitarian
crisis in northern Iraq for six months.
25. Christian Aid is also funding the Human
Rights Development Group to undertake training on International
Humanitarian Law and human rights law in situations of conflict.
The project will focus on community leaders in 41 Community Based
Organisations in Erbil and Suleimaniya identified as likely to
receive displaced people from Baghdad and Baquba.
26. Christian Aid is in discussion with
the Middle East Council of Churches, with IRAC, and with a small
number of other organisations with regard to supporting humanitarian
and rehabilitation work in central and southern Iraq in the event
of war.
THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY'S
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
PLANS
27. An over-riding difficulty for Christian
Aid in assessing overall levels of preparedness is the general
lack of transparency surrounding the humanitarian response plans
of governments and inter-governmental agencies. This appears to
be related partly to a reluctance on the part of politicians or
officials to give the impression that war is inevitable, and partly
to the secrecy surrounding military planning for a potential offensive.
We acknowledge that DFID have recently made efforts to share information
with UK-based NGOs but are also aware of the fact that there is
much that DFID is unable to share with us. As a consequence, Christian
Aid has a very incomplete picture of the current state of preparedness.
Most of our information comes from leaked documents or information
reported in the media, or from our discussions with other agencies
and partners, both in the UK and in the Middle East region.
28. To some extent, Christian Aid appreciates
the sensitive nature of humanitarian planning. Nevertheless, we
believe that a greater willingness to share information with NGOs
would be in the best interests of all those with legal responsibilities
for the welfare of civilians in a potential conflict, including
governments. This is because NGOs will have a key, legitimate
and recognised role in the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase
of any conflict in Iraq.
29. Based on the information available,
Christian Aid is deeply concerned by the international community's
apparent lack of preparedness to respond to an imminent humanitarian
crisis in the event of war in Iraq, given the likely scale of
the disaster and an already vulnerable population. A leaked document
produced by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) on 7 January states that "all UN agencies
have been facing severe funding constraints that are preventing
them from reaching even minimum levels of preparedness."
The same report also states that "the collapse of essential
services in Iraq . . . could lead to a humanitarian emergency
of proportions well beyond the capacity of UN agencies and other
aid organisations." The report reveals that in spite of requests
to the United States, the UK, and other western governments for
emergency aid in case of war, minimal funds had been made available
at the time of writing. Christian Aid notes that a meeting called
by OCHA in Geneva on 15-16 February and attended by donor governments
and humanitarian agencies resulted in some pledges being made
to a UN emergency fund for Iraq. Nevertheless, the lack of preparedness,
the extremely stretched resources of UN agencies, and the delays
in the commitment of emergency funds remain cause for serious
concern.
30. In her oral evidence to the Select Committee
on 12 February, the Secretary of State echoed OCHA's concerns:
"There is a real problem here of the enormous strains on
the international humanitarian system, which are very considerable.
We have got so many crises around the world, both in funding and
in the capacity of people and institutions to provide food and
reach people in need."
31. With regard to the provision of urgent
food aid, Christian Aid notes WFP's reported efforts to preposition
stocks in neighbouring countries to feed 900,000 people for ten
weeks[5].
However, if oil installations are bombed, then the current method
of paying for food imports from oil revenues under the UN-supervised
Oil for Food programme would not apply. The food component of
this programme costs $200 million a month to run. There remains
a lack of clarity as to where the funds would come from to pay
for an emergency food relief operation for several million people
in the absence of oil revenues.
32. In the event of war, coordination between
the different entities responsible for providing humanitarian
assistance will be essential in order to ensure systematic coverage
and complementarity and to avoid duplication of roles and provision.
For its own part, Christian Aid is making every effort to coordinate
its humanitarian planning with other British NGOs and with organisations
and agencies in the Middle East region. However, Christian Aid
has little information on the extent of coordination amongst governments
and official agencies with regard to humanitarian response planning.
Given the general pressure to undertake such planning with stretched
resources, we remain concerned about the extent of coordination
until we have information to the contrary.
33. Christian Aid shares the concerns expressed
by the Secretary of State in her oral evidence to the International
Development Committee on 12 February with regard to the difficulties
that could arise, should military action be undertaken without
the support of the United Nations Security Council. "I think
these considerations underline the overwhelming case for a Security
Council resolution if there is to be action" she stated.
"The complexity of all of this if there is not a unity internationally
will be dreadful and the possibility of things being well prepared
will be much more difficult." If only a handful of countries
are involved in a war on Iraq, Christian Aid questions the capacity
of these countries to respond to a humanitarian crisis on the
scale that may unfold and wonders whether countries not engaged
in the military action will be prepared to contribute to a humanitarian
response in these circumstances.
THE ROLE
OF THE
MILITARY IN
PROVIDING HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE
34. In her oral evidence to the International
Development Select Committee on 12 February, the Secretary of
State indicated that in the initial phase of any conflict, the
humanitarian response may have to be coordinated by military forces.
"The possible use of chemical and biological weapons is enormously
complicated" she explained. `I think it is highly likely,
if that were to happen and civilians were to be hurt that the
military would have to provide help and support for people who
had been hurt . . . You could get order breaking down, which is
very difficult for humanitarian systems to operate in. Those are
some of the very difficult scenarios where again you would expect
military personnel to be the first providers of basic food and
order and care for people."
35. The Secretary of State also emphasised
that she did not believe there would be a role for NGOs in the
initial phase of military action. She explained that this was
partly because NGOs could not be party to confidential military
plans that would enable them to make appropriate and detailed
humanitarian response plans, and partly because she did not feel
NGOs had the capacity to respond on the scale that would be required
or to respond to possible chemical or biological attacks. Christian
Aid agrees with the Secretary of State that NGOs like ourselves
and the partner organisations we support do not have the experience
or capacity required if non-conventional weapons were to be used.
However, Christian Aid disagrees with the argument that NGOs do
not have the capacity to provide humanitarian relief in major
conflict situations. On the contrary, Christian Aid has considerable
experience of responding to humanitarian needs in a large number
of conflicts over many years.
36. Given that humanitarian relief may be
initially under primary if not the sole control of military forces,
Christian Aid would like to draw the Committee's attention to
some basic principles that should be applied to the military's
role. In general circumstances, it is never appropriate for the
military to directly implement humanitarian activities. This principle
has been widely accepted by both humanitarian agencies and key
military policymakers. (See Draft Guidelines on the Use of Military
and Civil Defence Assets to Support United National Humanitarian
Activities in Complex Emergencies prepared by the Secretariat
of the Oslo Guidelines Process, Sept 2001).
37. Only in exceptional circumstances, is
it appropriate for the military to directly implement humanitarian
activities, for which there must be specific criteria. Such "exceptional
circumstances" may apply to a war in Iraq, particularly if
chemical or biological weapons are used. But even in these exceptional
circumstances, it is questionable whether a humanitarian response
undertaken by the military forces of one or more warring parties
can ever be impartial. In such circumstances, the aid and the
interaction with the civilian population around its delivery can
become an integrated part of the military campaign.
38. Therefore, if circumstances are such
that humanitarian operations have to be undertaken by military
forces, it is essential that these operations are undertaken in
close coordination with UN humanitarian agencies and that this
arrangement is for as short a time as possible. Operations must
pass to civilian agencies as soon as circumstances allow.
39. Christian Aid has reservations concerning
the establishment and role of the Humanitarian Operations Centre
(HOC) in Kuwait. While it may prove a logistical necessity for
the US military to construct refugee camps, subsequent humanitarian
efforts should be co-ordinated by a neutral body and not by an
organisation such as HOC which is so closely linked to US military
operations. Christian Aid regards the United Nations' Office for
the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as an appropriate
body for the coordination of humanitarian operations.
THE FUTURE
OF IRAQ
40. In the long term, Christian Aid believes
that the Iraqi people must be allowed to create their own political
and economic development models and their own strategies for tackling
poverty. Most importantly, Iraqis must be able to participate
in designing and implementing development plans at community levels.
41. The international community must actively
engage in promoting and supporting a democratic and pluralistic
society in Iraq, free from internal repression and without external
interference. It should give its support to political settlements
which address Iraq's internal conflicts and which guarantee the
human rights of the different ethnic groups within Iraq's borders.
RECOMMENDATIONS
42. In view of the potential humanitarian
consequences for an already vulnerable population, we believe
it is imperative to seek a peaceful settlement to the current
crisis through the UN. We do not believe that the peaceful alternatives
to conflict have yet been exhausted.
43. Humanitarian considerations must be
given greater attention by governments and by the United Nations
Security Council and must be taken into account fully before a
decision is made to wage war on the Saddam Hussein regime.
44. If a decision is taken to wage a war
on Iraq, either unilaterally or by the United Nations, the governments
involved in such a war must abide by their obligations under international
humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
45. In accordance with international humanitarian
law, civilians must not be targeted and nor must installations
essential to the survival of civilians. All possible measures
must be taken to avoid civilian casualties. The humanitarian needs
of the civilian population during and after the conflict must
be met. Food aid and essential items for survival such as medicines,
water, and shelter must be provided to all those in need on all
sides of the conflict.
46. In accordance with the position of the
Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response[6]
endorsed by Christian Aid, and based on our experience in Afghanistan
in 2001 and in complex emergencies elsewhere, Christian Aid recommends
that military resources should only be called for when all of
the following criteria are met:
(a) there is no other humanitarian option;
(b) there is a significant level of need,
as determined by civilian agencies, including the UN;
(c) assets and interventions should, if possible,
remain under civilian control; interventions are clearly time-bound;
(d) humanitarian agencies must avoid operating
under the command of the military, for this violates the core
principle of independence.
47. In these "exceptional circumstances",
it should be recognised that the military is only playing a humanitarian
role until the appropriate agencies can take over. The period
of military management of humanitarian operations should both
last for a very short time and should be handed over immediately
to civilian management as soon as it is in place. Christian Aid
recommends that coordination of the humanitarian response is undertaken
by UN agencies as soon as possible, and those they are supported
and funded to play this role.
48. Those involved in humanitarian planning
should ensure that as far as possible, there is coherence between
short-term relief and long-term development. For example, the
international community should do everything possible to avoid
undermining the local economy by creating aid dependency. Relief,
reconstruction and development must make full use of local resources.
49. The international community must give
due attention to the long-term implications of war for the civilian
population. Plans affecting the future of Iraq must address the
long-term needs of the Iraqi people and include a strategy for
poverty eradication and the defence and promotion of human rights
and democracy.
50. There is a need to ensure that ongoing
humanitarian crises elsewhere in the world—whether in Southern
Africa, Ethiopia, Afghanistan or the Occupied Palestinian Territories—are
not forgotten and that there is no diversion of resources from
other crises to Iraq.
51. As a matter of urgency, the international
community must seek a peaceful resolution of the escalating conflict
between Israel and the Palestinians, based on international law.
The international community must ensure that UN resolutions are
upheld by Israel as well as by Iraq.
Christian Aid
February 2003
4 World Food Programme (WFP) Emergency Report n.7
14 February 2003.
1 Code of Conduct for the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non Governmental Organisations
in Disaster Relief, Geneva 1994. Back
2
Caritas (2002) On the brink of war: A recipe for humanitarian
disaster. Back
3
Back
4
World Food Programme (WFP) Emergency Report n.7 14 February 2003;
Iraq. Back
5
The cost of simply rehabilitating key humanitarian sectors to
minimal standards after the war in 1991 was estimated at $6.8
billion for one year alone. Source: Report of the UN S-G's Executive
Delegate Sadruddin Aga Khan, July 1991. Back
6
In addition to Christian Aid, SCHR membership includes: Oxfam,
CARE International, Save the Children Fund (SCF), Medecins Sans
Frontieres (MSF), Caritas Internationalis, International Federation
of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (ICRC) and Action
by Churches Together (ACT International). Back
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