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Looting, Chaos Cripple Aid Delivery in Baghdad
Written by
Mason Booth
, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
Friday, April 11, 2003 — As city after city falls to coalition forces in Iraq, chaotic sprees of looting and anarchy have formed within the power vacuums left in the wake of the old regime. The rampant lawlessness has made humanitarian operations in areas worst affected difficult and prevented the delivery of critical aid such as medical supplies.
The ICRC has spent more than $10 million building its capacity for an immediate and flexible response to humanitarian needs in Iraq. However, recent looting and chaos in cities such as Baghdad have made distributions difficult.
Photo Courtesy of the Federation.
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One of the cities where the situation has deteriorated most severely is Baghdad. On Tuesday (April 8), heavy fighting erupted in the city’s central areas. Hospitals were overwhelmed by waves of war-wounded patients, stretching medical facilities and their staff to the limit.
”Up until Wednesday the International Committee of the Red Cross had been able to visit hospitals and restock supplies,” said Matthew Parry, regional associate for the American Red Cross International Services. “The hospitals were overwhelmed by the sheer number of casualties. Plus much of the staff hasn’t been able to get in because of the fighting, so they are relying on a depleted workforce.”
Wednesday, however, saw the breaking point for both hospitals and humanitarian agencies as sporadic fighting continued and bands of looters took to the streets.
The scene at al-Kindi hospital, one of the largest medical centers in Baghdad, was “chaotic and catastrophic” after looters began raiding the facility, described the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the lead agency for the Red Cross Movement in Iraq. Medical facilities throughout the city have closed because of combat damage, looting, and fear of looting, and few medical staff remain in the facilities still running.
“The situation is chaotic, and very insecure,” said Parry. “Humanitarian operations remain difficult in this unstable period.”
Over recent months, the ICRC has spent more than $10 million building its capacity for an immediate and flexible response to humanitarian needs in Iraq. Actions include pre-positioning sufficient medical supplies to cover the basic health needs of approximately 180,000 affected people.
Since armed conflict began, the organization has delivered medical supplies, such as stretchers and surgical equipment, generators and water to hospitals.
”The problem isn’t necessarily a shortage of supplies. It’s that the ICRC is currently having difficulty getting supplies to the hospitals,” said Parry. “Doctors and other staff can’t get through the fighting and the looting, either, and the few that can are too concerned about their families’ welfare to leave.”
Another concern for the Red Cross Movement is Baghdad’s water supply.
”The water system in the city was damaged after a missile hit one of the lines,” Parry explained. “The ICRC has to be able to resume its work so it can assess the need for potable water.”
As the crisis continues to develop, National Societies in the Red Cross Movement, including the American Red Cross, have been supporting the efforts of the ICRC in Iraq through financial contributions.
”Even though people often want to donate supplies, the best way they can help the humanitarian response in Iraq is by giving money,” said Parry. “That way, we can use the money in the affected country to bolster the economy while at the same time channeling the resources to the most urgently needed sectors in the fastest way possible.”
You can help those affected by this crisis and countless others around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund. Donations to the International Response Fund can be mailed to your local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Secure online credit card donations can be made by visiting www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html.
You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year, crises like the Myanmar Cyclone and China Earthquake, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation by either contacting 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish), or mailing your donation with the designation to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or to your local American Red Cross chapter. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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