Amman/Brussels, 27 March 2003: Largely as a result of the political controversy and uncertainty that preceded the war in Iraq, planning and preparations for relief efforts have been plagued by inadequate coordination and resources. And if the war drags on, new humanitarian tragedies inevitably will compound the problems of a country suffering the effects not only of this war, but two earlier wars, twelve years of sanctions and decades of authoritarian government.
In a new report published today*,
War in Iraq: Managing Humanitarian Relief,, a copy of which is attached, the International Crisis Group (ICG) urges the United States to forego the temptation to control the post-conflict humanitarian effort and hand the coordinating role over to the United Nations. At the same time, those who were opposed to the war, in particular European governments and NGOs, need to agree to work in close coordination with the United States and put their plans and their funding on the table. The involvement of numerous, capable Iraqi groups and institutions is also crucial to getting the rebuilding of Iraq off to a good start.
ICG Middle East Program Director Robert Malley said: “Without exception, the picture emerging from U.S., UN and relevant NGO assessments confirms the real risk of humanitarian catastrophe. It is too soon to predict how long the war will last and how it will unfold but it is having a multiplier effect on an already serious humanitarian situation”.
Among the problems identified by ICG in the report are:
Uncoordinated planning by independent actors, creating a high likelihood of confusion, duplication and waste. This is largely the result of political disagreements over the legitimacy of the war, compounded by distrust between the U.S. administration on the one hand and the UN and NGOs on the other. Secrecy due to political considerations, most obviously on the part of the EU, has obstructed the typical flow of information.
U.S. led relief coordination mechanisms which appear to be heavily military threaten to jeopardise the independence of humanitarian organisations, blurring the essential distinction between humanitarian action and military operations, and could lower the willingness of other countries to contribute.
ICG Middle East Analyst Reinoud Leenders said: “Any sustained relief effort must involve the international community as a whole. The controversy surrounding the war is undermining cooperation, and an all-dominant U.S. role in post-war Iraq is likely to become a source of resentment both within Iraq and throughout the region. It is also a potential impediment to funding by foreign donors. Finally, the U.S. military are not mandated or trained to identify humanitarian needs and coordinate relief efforts. International relief organisations, many of whom have operated in Iraq for years, have that capacity”.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Katy Cronin (London) +44-(0)20 7981 0330 –
email: [email protected]
Francesca Lawe-Davies (Brussels) +32-(0)2-536 00 65
Kathy Ward (Washington) +1-202-785 1601
*Read the full ICG report on our website:
www.crisisweb.org
