Current News in Context
October 16, 2006
Editorial
It's not uncommon to hear or to read that there are no NGOs in Iraq anymore. Generally authors mean International NGOs, as trust for Iraqi NGOs, in the international community, is not at the level it should be.
So, authors who are stating that there are no NGOs in Iraq anymore let readers think, when it's not explicitly written, that only armed organisations (like PRTs)or religious or political-backed organisations are able to bring support to Iraqis.
But it's not true.
Lot of NGOs, both International and Iraqis, are still present and working in Iraq, even in hot spots. The only reality in this assertion regards international aid workers, who are almost all out of the country except those present in Kurdistan. Only the foolhardiest are still going on in and out base in central Iraq.
The fact is that NGOs are still present on the ground through Iraqi aid workers that are risking their well being every day to save lives.
Iraqi aid workers are the super-heroes we would like to honour here.
Indeed, to live now in Iraq is already a risk, particularly in central Iraq (inside a square that would have approximately Mosul, Babil, Baqubah and Al-Rutbah for corners). In this area, lot of Iraqis minimize their movements, just going out for work or to buy basic or vital needs for their households.
Iraqi aid workers are not only going out daily. They are also going to hot spots, where the most vulnerable are.
So they multiply the risks taken by ordinary civilians: Everyday they have to pass by multiple check-points run by powerful armed groups of the crossed areas, they are more exposed to ambushes or to be close to blind attacks, they increase visibility making them targeted and, they can even be attacked by some beneficiaries. Indeed, most Iraqis, because of years of propaganda, do not know what an NGO is and who is an aid worker.
Since 2003, the "humanitarian war" concept and the organisations that have political or religious agendas, including the coalition-backed organisations, have created an amalgam, which daily increases the risk and vulnerability of aid workers in Iraq.
Today, our super-heroes are the only ones who are thinking and actually saving lives in Iraq's extremely violent context. They are saving lives everyday supporting the most vulnerable.
The situation of aid workers in Iraq is more difficult than ever.
Because they work keeping a low profile, without making publicity in contrast to those who are not on the ground, nobody knows them. Nobody talks about them. Nobody protects them. At a time when they need the most significant support, almost everybody forgets them.
This week, at least 2 more aid workers have been killed in Iraq. Iraq is the deadliest country in the world for aid workers. At least 76 of them have been killed since 2003.
How many aid workers, tomorrow, will be able to continue saving lives of Iraqis without making religious, gender, political or ethnical distinctions?
Several NGOs are still thinking to phase out in the following months, mainly for financial reasons. Already, numerous International and Iraqi NGOs have closed down.
So who will support Iraq's vulnerable in the following months? Would only PRTs and private companies stay on the ground, thinking first to try reducing their casualties, then to support people, with guns?
To call attention of those who are looking at the disaster without moving, we would like to scream: wake up!
Please support Iraq before it dies definitively.
Please support our superheroes to help their compatriots.
Here we would like to loudly thank aid workers still working in Iraq who show the entire world that a certain idea of Humanitarianism, based on saving lives as its only agenda, still exists.
-----------------------------
Sallam
NCCII Team
^ Top of page |
 |
Search site
Email Updates Sign Up to Have Posts Emailed to You Recent Posts
Study estimates 655,000 excess Iraqi deaths since ...
Aid worker for Life for Relief and Development (LI...
Declaration of Peace: DC Summary
We Declare Peace - Next Steps
Update and Report Back: Declaration of Peace
Civilian Death toll 6,500+ (July and August)
Washington DC Launch of Declaration of Peace
Select AFSC Actions: Declaration of Peace
Declaration of Peace Congressional Call-In Day II
Federal Agents Raid Islamic Charity - Life for Rel...
Archives
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
April 2007
Atom Feed 
|
Email this page