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In Brief
Operations Update no. 5; Period covered: 25 October to 25 December 2006; Appeal target: CHF 7,953,524 (USD 6,528,647 or EUR 4,947,637); Appeal coverage: 44 per cent
Appeal history:
- Launched on 10 November 2005 for CHF 16,750,000 (USD 12 million or EURO 10 million) for 12 months to assist 350,000 beneficiaries.
- Appeal plan and budget were revised in June 2006 (Appeal budget was decreased to CHF 7,953,524 or USD 6,528,647); and the operation extended by two months, to 31 December 2006.
- The appeal period is once again being extended to 31 January 2007 due to delays in implementing ongoing activities as a consequence of grave security situation in the last quarter of 2006 in particular. The final appeal report will be due at the end of April 2007.
- Disaster Relief Emergency Funds (DREF) allocated: N/A.
Operational Summary
During the reporting period of 25 October to 25 December 2006, (1) the country, and particularly Baghdad and neighbouring governorates, have suffered the highest levels of violence and criminal activity recorded; (2), the four governorates in the north of the country were also badly affected by flash floods that killed 13 people and inflicted heavy damage on infrastructure and people's livelihoods; and (3) for the first time, the Iraqi Red Crescent (IRCS) Baghdad branch office has been targeted by one of the armed groups, in uniform, and its staff /volunteers abducted. This incident occurred on 15 December, and 13 of those taken are still in the hands of their abductors. The Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement has continued exerting massive pressure on the government for the quick and unconditional release of its staff and volunteers.
IRCS, with support from the Federation, ICRC and Sister National Societies has responded to the plight of the victims of both human-made and natural disasters during this period. In addition, the IRCS had to work aggressively to enhance its operational alliance with the government and UN agencies to meet the gaps and short falls in humanitarian service delivery. All in all, over 150,000 beneficiaries have received relief assistance in the past four months through the National Society operational structures and mechanisms.
Background
The security situation in the country is still very difficult, with more internal displacement and increased death rates reported during this reporting period. The mere fact that Saddam Hussein has been convicted and sentenced to the death penalty, leads most Iraqis to anticipate increased armed conflict, including killing and kidnapping, that would possibly worsen the security situation more than ever.
According to UN report, the number of Iraqi civilians killed in October was 3,709; and the scale of killing for the months of November and December have remained at almost the same monthly rate of 3,000 if not more- more than the previous three times months. Violence in Baghdad has become the most prominent feature of the conflict in Iraq. Attacks by insurgents and counter-insurgents continue and sectarian violence deepens and spreads, with Iraqi civilians remaining the primary victims.
According to the UNHCR statement released on 3 November, since the first Gulf War at least 1.6 million Iraqis have been displaced internally and up to 1.8 million have fled to neighbouring countries. Families have become increasingly afraid of attack by armed groups during the dark hours. Some families have even decided to split up and sleep in different houses to avoid an entire family being killed. As a consequence of such high level insecurity and instability, lots of people are leaving the country and are residing in neighbouring countries: 750,000 in Jordan; 500,000 in Syria; 90,000 in Iran and others have escaped to Egypt, Lebanon and the Gulf countries. Estimates show that some 50,000 Iraqis are fleeing their homes each month, adding to the more than 1.5 million already displaced or made homeless within Iraq.
Such figures have however become increasingly controversial, notably since the United Nations put the monthly civilian toll at over 3,000 this summer and a group of medical statisticians estimated that over 650,000 civilians might have been killed since the invasion of 2003. Evidence of civilian casualties is scarce and collecting such data could be a very risky undertaking. As of recent, the Iraqi government has also tightened the internal regulations to prevent officials from releasing such figures other than the prime minister's office. Bloodshed intensified in the holy month of Ramadan, as it has in recent years in Iraq, making it difficult for many people to go out as freely as they would like. This year, however, has been even worse. The religion-based nature of much of the violence, frequent curfews and random armed group checkpoints have kept most people, especially the residents of Baghdad, behind locked doors.
Inflation
When prices are increasing and people do not get more money, poverty also increases. Unemployment is rising and more and more children are leaving school to work and supplement their parents' income.
A senior official in the strategy department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs stated that nearly 5.6 millions Iraqis are living below the poverty line, according to the most recent studies. At least 40 percent of this number is living in absolute and desperate deteriorated conditions and this level of poverty is a 35 percent increase on the level before 2003. The unemployment rate has risen to around 76 per cent.
Basic services are reduced to almost nothing, electricity is a problem and there is no gas so even breakfast has to be forgotten in most of the Iraqi houses. An official source at the Ministry of Finance said that the annual rate of inflation for goods in the twelve months from August 2005 to August 2006 amounted to 76.3 per cent.
Education
Iraq's school and university system is in danger of collapse in large areas of the country as pupils and teachers take flight in the face of threats of violence. Professors and parents no longer feel safe to attend their educational institutions. In some schools and colleges, up to half the staff have fled abroad, resigned or applied to go on prolonged vacation, and class sizes have also dropped by up to half in the areas that are the worst affected.
Professionals in higher education, particularly those teaching the sciences and health, have been targeted for assassination. Universities from Basra in the south to Kirkuk and Mosul in the north have been infiltrated by such organisations which also regularly intimidate female students at the school and university gates for failing to wear the hijab. Women teachers have been ordered by their ministry to adopt Islamic codes of clothing and behaviour.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
Refugees from Iraq are on the move. More than 1.2 million of them have already fled the country and at least 425,000 newly internally displaced persons have been registered since the sharp rise in sectarian attacks, abductions and killings that followed the bombing of the holy shrine in Samarra's Golden Mosque on 22 February 2006. This has presented Iraq with an explosive problem: sectarian-induced displacement. Many displaced people have found refuge with relatives and are thought not to have registered, which means that actual figures may be far higher.
The International Federation undertakes activities that are aligned with its Global Agenda, which sets out four broad goals to meet the Federation's mission to "improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity."
Global Agenda Goals:
- Reduce the numbers of deaths, injuries and impact from disasters.
- Reduce the number of deaths, illnesses and impact from diseases and public health emergencies.
- Increase local community, civil society and Red Cross Red Crescent capacity to address the most urgent situations of vulnerability.
- Reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion and promote respect for diversity and human dignity.
For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:
In Baghdad: Mazin Saloum, Secretary Genera, Iraqi Red Crescent Society, mazinas2003@yahoo.com
In Amman: Gurgen Boshyan, HoD; phone +962-79-661-7939, Gurgen.Boshyan@ifrc.org;
In Geneva: Evgeni Parfenov, Regional Officer, phone +41 227304325; fax +41 227330395; evgeni.parfenov@ifrc.org
All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) in Disaster Relief and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (Sphere) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.
For longer-term programmes in this or other countries or regions, please refer to the Federation's Annual Appeal. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for national society profiles, please also access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org