CRS responds to humanitarian crisis in Iraq

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April 2003

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CRS responds to humanitarian crisis in Iraq
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CRS responds to humanitarian crisis in Iraq
April 2, 2003, Amman, Jordan – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) announced an international appeal for $8.3 million to assist more than 260,000 Iraqis displaced within the country over the next three months. Funds generated by the appeal, which is being sponsored by Caritas Internationalis and circulated among its membership of more than 154 Catholic agencies worldwide, will be implemented immediately to assist the needy in Iraq.

The appeal was launched as the Caritas confederation expressed fear that the number of Iraqis fleeing their homes will escalate in the coming weeks.

"We hear reports of people movements when we speak with our staff throughout Iraq," said Faiq Bourachi, Liaison Officer with Caritas Iraq. "There is a fear that a large number of Iraqis will face internal displacement in the coming weeks and months, particularly as fighting in the Baghdad area is expected to produce a large number of displaced."

The funds raised will be used to support Caritas Iraq's relief program for internally displaced people throughout Iraq, primarily in the northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, but also around Baghdad and, in the south, Basra and surrounding areas. Caritas Iraq will focus on meeting the needs of the most vulnerable people, including malnourished children, nursing mothers, pregnant women and the sick.

"Humanitarian programs such as these in Iraq have already saved many lives," said Catholic Relief Services' Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Christine Tucker. "We trust that the additional efforts sponsored through this appeal will save even more."

The assistance, which will be provided using Caritas Iraq's existing network of 14 centers in and around Mosul, Kirkuk, Baghdad and Basra, will target displaced Iraqis living in temporary shelters as well as those living with host families. Just under half of the program's recipients will be children or the elderly, traditionally those most vulnerable during a conflict. Each displaced family will receive food assistance—including supplementary food for children—for three months along with water containers, water purification tablets, mattresses, blankets, kitchen utensils, stoves, fuel and hygiene kits.

"The aim of this plan is to prevent the outbreak of disease among the people fleeing their homes and their host families by distributing monthly food rations and providing clean water," said Bourachi. "We will improve the nutritional standards among children who are already malnourished."

Caritas Iraq was established in 1992 by the Catholic Bishops of Iraq to promote social justice and support the poor and marginalized. It has a staff of 134 people along with 120 volunteers.

CRS is working with Caritas in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey to respond to the immediate needs of Iraqis, including refugees. While CRS supports the humanitarian response, the agency continues its efforts to work for peace and lay the foundation for rebuilding what is damaged by the war and promoting the dignity of each Iraqi citizen.

In addition to concerns regarding the safety and basic needs of Iraqi civilians and the urgency of providing food, water and medicines to affected populations, an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million Iraqis could flee the country because of the conflict, with as many as one million people potentially displaced within Iraq. Iraq is already home to nearly a million displaced citizens.

CRS is working with local church organizations, particularly Caritas, in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey to enhance their capacity to respond to the immediate needs of Iraqis, including refugees. "The needs in Iraq—particularly health—were acute even before the onset of war, with high rates of infant mortality and a dire shortage of medicine," Tucker added. "Now, this conflict holds the potential to spread in the region if movements of people result as expected."

In addition to serving the vulnerable Iraqi population inside the country, CRS has also assisted Iraqi refugees in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. CRS has been working diligently with its local partners in Iraq and surrounding countries over the last few months to prepare for a humanitarian response in support of the Iraqi people.

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