ARC Sends Humanitarian Supplies into Iraq

American Refugee Committee
Wednesday, 23 April 2003

Last Friday, the American Refugee Committee (ARC) became the first U.S. humanitarian agency to deliver relief supplies to the people of Iraq. With a second shipment over the weekend and a third today, ARC and its London-based partner IRAC (Iraqi Refugee Aid Council) have delivered more than 140 tons of humanitarian aid to some of the most vulnerable people in Iraq.

Specifically, ARC delivered its truckloads of emergency supplies to the cities of Al Basrah, An Nasiriah, Al Amarah , and Karbala. Shipments included food and urgently needed goods such as medicine, hygiene kits, blankets, and plastic sheeting. These shipments were financed entirely by private financial and in-kind donations.

It is difficult to emphasize exactly how important these supplies are to the well-being of the people in Iraq," states ARC president Hugh Parmer. "For nearly 15 years, Iraq has virtually ignored key parts of its infrastructure, including water, sanitation, and health care services. Its people are now paying the price."

Not only have sanitation systems collapsed, a fuel shortage has silenced the generators required to power water purification systems. Reports of cholera and black fever are beginning to surface, along with increased diarrheal disease among children. During the last Gulf War, contaminated water in the city of Basra caused a cholera epidemic that claimed thousands of lives.

This is just the beginning of large relief effort led in Iraq by humanitarian agencies. ARC and IRAC expect future activities to include food shipments, medical services, community development, and possibly reconstruction. However, they stress that private donations will be critical to meeting the needs in a timely fashion.

For nearly 25 years, the American Refugee Committee has been working to ease the suffering of the victims of war. The American Refugee Committee is a nonprofit humanitarian relief organization that 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