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Working to Avert a Crisis

December 2, 2003

During this season of thanksgiving and joy in the West, AFSC is stepping up relief efforts to counter the deepening crisis in Iraq. The social safety net and protective housing laws that were in place before the war have crashed, leaving an ever greater number of families vulnerable.

In Baghdad alone, more than 54,000 people have been identified as homeless, and the numbers increase daily. Many more people remain in their homes but live there in dire poverty. Jobs have not materialized in post-war Iraq, resulting in an unemployment rate of more than 50 percent. The housing shortage stands at 1.4 million. [Editor's note: It was only during the end of sanctions that the Iraqi government was allowed to include material for housing as part of the oil-for-food program. Almost no construction took place from 1991 to 2000. Once allowed, the government engaged in an ambitious subsidized building effort in the final phases of the oil-for-food program.]

Children of Al Gazalia squatter's camp

Young and old receive hygiene buckets at Al Salam camp

Different families, similar stories

The Al Salam camp, formerly an Air Force command center, provides shelter to 325 families or 1,500 people. The families live in the bombed and burned remnants of the former base. In addition to hygiene buckets and cooking fuel, AFSC provided shoes for more than 200 primary school children in Al Huda. The local elementary school recently added an afternoon session to accommodate children from the camp, but teachers haven't been hired yet.

Abdul Al Masan at Al Salam camp

Abdul Al Masan moved his family to the Al Salam camp after the war forced them from their home in Sadr City (formerly Saddam City). This father of ten children told us: "Life has become very difficult. This is the first help we have received." Abdul's youngest son, Sian, and his friends talked excitedly about finally being able to return to school.

Frial and her two sons lived in the Baghdad neighborhood of Zaforania before moving to Al Salam with her brother-in-law and his family. "There was no work after the war," explains Frial, "so we had no money to pay rent and were forced to leave our home." She picked up a hygiene bucket for herself and her boys, Fatheil and Yusuf.

Life springs up amid destruction

Approximately 165 families-or 650 people-call the Al Gazalia camp home. This former poultry farm owned by Saddam's son, Ouday, was bombed during the war. The destruction left significant debris scattered throughout the grounds. Some families have moved into buildings that once housed chickens, animal feed, and chemical supplies. Others have constructed makeshift homes. AFSC, working through local partner OWFI, provided shovels, brooms, and wheelbarrows, which allows the camp's residents to remove rubble from around their homes. AFSC also paid for a bulldozer and truck to remove debris from the camp during three days of work.

With additional space available, other families are expected to move into Al Gazalia. After the cleanup, the Middle East Council of Churches provided tents to shelter thirty families. Another international relief organization is looking into upgrading the camp's water supply and sanitation. A volunteer doctor examined many of the residents of Al Gazalia, and AFSC filled prescriptions for 56 people-mostly children suffering from diarrhea and women with anemia.

Everyone helps clean up at Al Gazalia

The rainy winter season will make life in these camps increasingly precarious. AFSC continues to work with local and international partners to identify and meet the needs of this extremely vulnerable population.

All photos by Rick McDowell

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