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Aid: Who Gets it?
- A young mother and her baby at a hospital in Iraq. Photo: David P Young PCUSA/ACT International
Winning hearts and minds or helping those in greatest need? Defending Humanitarian Principles in Iraq.
By Liz Martyn, Christian World Service
With the fighting over in the war against Iraq, fears are growing about the misuse of humanitarian aid as a military strategy to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. Aid should be given to those in greatest need, not to gain political support.
In April we witnessed desperate scenes as the armed forces sought to distribute emergency relief. Certainly, the Iraqi people need help. The war, international sanctions and brutal regime have devastated their lives. They are hungry, in need of safe water, medical supplies and care. But the soldiers who have been fighting in Iraq are not the people to provide relief.
When army trucks brought food to the people of southern Iraq there were food riots. Instead of a well-organised distribution of food packages to those most in need the sick, elderly and young chaos reigned. Armed British soldiers could only watch, unsure of what to do as the crowd clamoured towards the trucks. Only the fittest and strongest emerged triumphant with food. For Christian World Service (CWS) and our partners in the region, this illustrated the importance of experienced civilian agencies distributing relief aid.
Distribution of humanitarian aid is not a simple task. It must be based on a thorough assessment of who is most vulnerable, who needs what, how it can be given, and is best done in partnership with the local community.
- People lining up to receive water in Basra. Photo: Haunu Pesonen/ACT International
But what CWS partners are witnessing in Iraq is more than just unfair and ineffective relief distribution. The cooption of emergency relief for US/UK interests and the blurring of the lines between military and humanitarian actions compromise the very nature of humanitarian aid.
Soldiers are not impartial - they are partisan warriors. When soldiers are charged with the provision of aid, it can be used to control or coerce civilians and further the victors' policies. Consequently, aid agencies have refused to work through the US Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs in Iraq, fearing aid provision will be influenced by US government priorities rather than the interests of Iraqi civilians.
Military led relief and reconstruction goes against humanitarian principles and is unacceptable to CWS. Aid agencies need independence and unconditional access to the affected population. Under international law and convention, humanitarian aid:
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must not be used to advance a particular political or religious viewpoint
must be given regardless of the recipients' race, religion or political beliefs
must be calculated on need alone.
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For CWS this is not just 'best practice' but echoes God's unconditional love and concern for the poor and vulnerable. Humanitarian aid is not given to meet conditions or policy objectives. It is given so people can survive. The CWS Iraq Appeal is based on these principles. Our partners in the ACT (Action by Churches Together) International emergency response network refuse to act as tools for promoting US/UK military and geopolitical interests in the region so will not accept US/UK government funding for Iraq. They are relying on public support. Your help is critical at a time when Iraqis face the long slow process of rebuilding their lives.