Relief for Iraq: ARC's Planning is Underway

American Refugee Committee
Friday, 28 March 2003

As conditions in Iraq deteriorate, the American Refugee Committee (ARC) is mobilizing its resources to provide a significant and timely humanitarian response.

Although it is not yet safe for staff to enter Iraq, ARC has taken steps to open an office in Kuwait City as its base of operations in the region. Francis Hammond, a seasoned emergency manager with field experience in Afghanistan and Burundi, will manage ARC's operations in the southern third of Iraq.

In addition, ARC is assessing conditions in the Kurdish areas of northern Iraq, making plans to start up relief efforts in that region. Many Kurds have already fled their homes, seeking refuge in the mountainous northern areas. These people are in need of all of the basic necessities, from food and water to shelter and medical care.

'We want to be in a position to respond immediately once the military situation stabilizes,' explains ARC president Hugh Parmer. 'We know these people already have urgent needs for food, water and sanitation. We only hope we have the chance to react before this becomes an unimaginable tragedy.'

ARC is already aware of the imminent needs of the 1.3 million residents of Basra. During the battles of the last seven days, most of the sanitation system in that city has collapsed. People have no choice but to get their drinking water from the river, even as raw sewage flows in upstream. The same scenario played out during the last Gulf war, resulting in an outbreak of cholera that claimed the lives of thousands.

While the U.S. government will lead its own humanitarian relief operations, ARC staff believe the needs or the Iraqi people will outstrip the government's resources. 'Although they often provide equipment and logistical support, the U.S. government usually depends on organizations like ours to actually do the work," continues Parmer. 'If we're not positioned to move in when they need us, the consequences will be very, very serious.'

Vice president Joe Bock estimates that ARC will need more than $250,000 in private contributions to fund the first few weeks of operations. 'With the support of the American people, we can begin the process of healing the wounds of this war,' Bock added. 'We welcome donations from concerned Americans everywhere.'

The American Refugee Committee is a nonprofit humanitarian relief organization which works for the survival, health and well-being of refugees and displaced persons caught in the crossfire of civil violence, warfare, and other disasters. For more information, contact Martha Naegeli at 612-607-6481.

You can help. To donate to this important effort, visit our website. No gift is too small. Thank you for your generosity.

For more information, or to contact American Refugee Committee, see their website at: www.archq.org