NEWS_Irak-Involvement
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Iraq’s history goes back many thousand years. The land between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris originated in the historical Mesopotamia, the birthplace of the civilizations of Babylon and Assyria. The modern state of Iraq was founded in 1920, after the Ottoman Empire was split up. In 1979, Saddam Hussein came into power.
Iraq is second only after Saudi Arabia when it comes to the world’s largest oil reserves. The country’s population is about 24 million.
In the late 80’s Iraq had one of the most modern infrastructures and the highest standard of living in the Middle East.
The war with Iran, which lasted 8 years, and the first Gulf war in 1991 destroyed most of what had been achieved in the past. The UN sanctions in August 1990, which were a consequence of Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait, made life even harder for the people. Medical care deteriorated, hospitals were in ruins, and there are not enough drugs.
Children’s mortality is one of the highest worldwide and has tripled since 1991. One out of eight children will die before the age of 5. 31% of the children under the age of 5 are chronically malnourished. Half of the population does not have access to clean drinking water.
Only half of the children go to school. About 80% of the schools need to be renovated. At the same time, the number of child workers, prostitutes, teenage criminals and beggars is going up, as this is the only way they can support their families.
Four million people live in state of extreme poverty.
The water and wastewater system is collapsed as a result of the most recent war. In Baghdad about 40% of the drinking water pipes are damaged or destroyed. Power supply is very unreliable, garbage is piling up in the streets, and the risk of epidemics is on the rise.
On May 1st, 2003, President Bush declared the end of major combat in Iraq. However the situation of the Iraqi people improves only at a very slow pace. As always, the poor and the weak, and especially the children, are the ones who suffer most from the consequences of war.
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