wfn.org | All Our Children Coordinator: For a Stable Iraq, Meet Its

["Nat'l Council of Churches" <nccc_usa@ncccusa.org>]

For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Carol Fouke, 212-870-2252
Spokespersons, Photos Available

For a Prosperous, Stable Iraq, Meet Its Humanitarian Needs, All Our
Children Coordinator Says; Private Aid Is Crucial for Building
People-to-People Connections, He Says; Security is Key

September 10, 2003, NEW YORK CITY - Will the Iraq of the future be
prosperous, stable and tolerant -- or will it be suffering, violent and
polarized?  Keys to Iraqs success include how well its humanitarian needs
are met, said Steve Weaver, coordinator for the multi-agency All Our
Children campaign for Iraqi childrens health.

Addressing the sensitive political and religious issues will be very
difficult if humanitarian needs arent being met, he said, emphasizing that
while the United States government has a unique role to play, private
funding is essential.

Mr. Weaver speaks from experience: Iraqis, including those who bristle at
anyone connected to the U.S. military intervention, express deep
appreciation for independent people-to-people efforts such as All Our
Children.

All Our Children is one of the few humanitarian programs operating in Iraq
with only private funding, Mr. Weaver said.  Something will be lost if
there arent such options, he said.  I know that our partner agencies and
Iraqi beneficiaries value this aspect of All Our Children.

Consider these examples:

7	I wish the children in my community could see you and other Americans
like you, Ibrahim, a community leader in suburban Baghdad, told Mr. Weaver
in a recent meeting.  Americans to the children are soldiers.  They need to
see other Americans.

7	Mr. Weaver was having some labels made for personal hygiene kits.  We
were concerned that putting From people in North America could cause some
resistance, he said.  I asked a number of Iraqis about this.  All said it
was not a problem.  As one man put it, We have no problem with the American
people.

7	A woman in Baghdads Huriya neighborhood wept as All Our Children
distributed personal hygiene kits in her community.  May God bless you for
this, she said.  When she learned that ordinary Americans had assembled the
kits, she replied, May God bless them!

The National Council of Churches U.S.A., Church World Service and other
partners founded All Our Children in December 2002 as an extension of their
already long-standing response to Iraqs humanitarian crisis, three wars in
20 years, a repressive regime and more than a decade of trade sanctions.

The United Nations attributes the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi
children to the 1990s trade sanctions, which left the public health system
short of medicine, medical equipment and other supplies; led to the
breakdown of water and sanitation systems, and exhausted the resources of
many Iraqi families.

Lack of Security is Iraqs Number One Issue

The Iraqi people remain quite vulnerable on a number of fronts due to the
lack of security and the lack of a functioning government, Mr. Weaver said.
Addressing this vulnerability is essential for a smooth transition to a
stable future.  Unfortunately, security has been deteriorating, especially
in recent weeks with a series of car bomb attacks.  International
humanitarian organizations have received threats.

Security is the number one issue when you are making plans, said Kevin
King of Akron, Pa., Material Resources Manager for the Mennonite Central
Committee, an All Our Children partner.  He and colleagues were with Mr.
Weaver in Baghdad August 18-25 visiting projects.  The U.N.s offices were
car bombed August 19.  Whatever we did, we had to evaluate (the security
situation), Mr. King said.

As a result of the car bombings and threats, humanitarian aid groups are
trying to go very low profile, Mr. Weaver said.  For example, many are
removing identifying signs from their vehicles, offices and projects.  Some
have suspended operations for a week or two and/or are waiting for security
to improve before they recruit additional expatriate staff.

Of course, it is Iraqs citizens who are bearing the greatest burden of
scarcity and insecurity.  One morning a taxi driver said to us, Wheres
the liberation when my wife cant safely go to the market anymore, when the
price of food has tripled, when electricity and water fail? Mr. King said.
It sure is hard for a country to get to reconstruction when the foundation
is still shaking.

Several All Our Children Projects Proceed; Others Are On Hold; One Expands

Several All Our Children projects are proceeding, two are on hold as a
result of the increased insecurity, and one has been expanded to help -
albeit modestly - fill a gap left when, after the August 19 car bomb attack
on U.N. headquarters, another group delayed its funding for fresh food
deliveries to institutions serving children.

 From December 2002 through September 4, 2003, All Our Children has raised
at $183,360.  To date:
medical equipment and supplies, personal hygiene kits and canned meat valued

7	All Our Children has funded local purchase of 100 hospital beds for
the
Ibn Al-Aheer and Al Khassa Pediatric Hospitals in Mosul, which lacked enough
beds for the patients.	With two or three children per bed, infections
spread and the healing process was delayed as the children could not get
enough rest.  The beds were scheduled for delivery in early September.

7	All Our Children has provided medicine, medical supplies, personal
hygiene
kits, wheelchairs, blankets, bedding and other assistance for Baghdad
hospitals and health centers that cater specifically to children and for
Baghdad programs serving street children, children separated from their
families and special needs children.  A church-run orphanage received canned
meat.  Most goods were distributed February through May.

7	To meet urgent needs of hospitalized children during late April and
early
May - a chaotic period just before the declared end of major hostilities -
All Our Children provided powdered milk to 18 Baghdad hospitals (sufficient
for 1,037 beneficiaries for two weeks) and dry food rations (rice, wheat
flour, tea, sugar, dried beans, tomato sauce, salt and vegetable oil) to
seven Baghdad hospitals (500 beneficiaries).

7	To this day, the Public Distribution System (Oil for Food) food
basket
contains no fresh foods - only a dry ration.	In April-May, All Our
Children funded fresh food deliveries to 21 Baghdad hospitals that had
depleted their fresh food stocks (eggs, cheese, fresh tomatoes, potatoes,
onions, cabbages and oranges - enough to meet the needs of 2,500
beneficiaries over a two-week period).	In August, All Our Children funded
fresh food deliveries for 16 hospitals in Basrah, Thi-Qar, Muthanna and
Missan governerates in southern Iraq - enough for 4,300 beneficiaries over a
two-week period.  These hospitals also received canned meat.

7	In August and September, All Our Children funded fresh food
deliveries to
institutions serving orphans, street children and special needs children.
All Our Children extended its initial two-week commitment by an additional
two to four weeks to help fill a gap left when another group put its funding
for fresh food distributions on hold after the August 19 car bomb attack.
AOC funds also have been earmarked for purchase of refrigerators for the 16
hospitals, pending improved security.

7	Also on hold pending improved security is a program to help lessen
the
impact of conflict and post conflict-related trauma on Iraqi children, who,
before the war, already were badly traumatized by 12 years of economic
sanctions.  The three-month program would use puppetry, photography and a
book project to help children process the stresses of the war and its
aftermath, and to sensitize them about landmines, hygiene and other safety
and health issues.

Mr. Weaver, a Mennonite from Lancaster, Pa., also serves as an International
Emergency Response Consultant for Church World Service, a global ecumenical
humanitarian agency of the NCCs 36 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican member
denominations; they, in turn, comprise 50 million adherents.

Contributions to All Our Children are welcome.	By mail, write Church World
Service, All Our Children Campaign, Account #6801, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN
46515.	Phone pledges or credit card donations may be made by calling
1-800-297-1516.  On-line contributions to www.churchworldservice.org, where
you also may find more information.  The All Our Children Web site is
www.allourchildren.org

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