Dateline ACT

Iraq 0202

Photo essay: Living in Iraq

Baghdad, November 22, 2002
by Rainer lang, ACT International

Text and Photos by Rainer Lang/ACT International

It's six o'clock in the morning. Eleven-year old Muhamad walks the empty streets of Baghdad picking through the garbage. Instead of going to school, he will spend the rest of the day on the streets. Muhamad is one of hundreds of children roaming the street of Baghdad or other towns in Iraq, earning a little bit of money for their families by salvaging what others throw away. Nearly twelve years of UN sanctions have taken their toll on the majority of people of Iraq, in spite of the oil-for-food programme introduced in 1996, which allowed Iraq to import essential goods to help alleviate some of the needs of people.

A man selling toys on a street in Baghdad. Many people earn the equivalent of $5 US a month, but even those who earn $50 US per month, find that it does not stretch far when you are caring for five children - the average for a household in Iraq.

People are finding it more and more difficult to cope, as living conditions for the majority of people are often very poor. The Gulf War had a severe impact on Iraq's infrastructure and more than a decade of sanctions has taken it's toll, in spite of UN Security Council members agreeing on revised sanctions in May 2002 to ease their impact.

An old man hoping for handouts on one of Baghdad's streets. The elderly are often worse off, especially if they do not have relatives to support them. Reports by a peace group in Baghdad form the US based Church of the Brethren indicate that homes for the elderly are not ideal places - a lack of food being one of the major problems. Many local churches have programs that focus on offering support to old people who live alone, but the steady decline in the economy has also had an impact on Christian communities in Iraq. In Basra, in the south of the country, the Chaldean Catholic Church has lost most of its members to emigration. Membership has declined from 2700 families to around 550.

The old Armenian Church in Baghdad - often also visited by Muslims as the local mosque is right next door to the church. About 20,000 Armenians live in Iraq, says Father Misrop A. Gabrielian. He explains that around 400 families in Baghdad are very poor and need support. The church distributes food to them and gives them a small amount of money as well (around $10 US). The compound of the old Armenian Church in Baghdad has the facility to slaughter sheep. The meat is then distributed to those families most in need.

The general quality of life for the people of Iraq has been cause of concern to international observers. A UN report points out that the damage to the infrastructure of the country as a result of the Gulf War in 1991, led to an overall deterioration in the quality and quantity of drinking water in general, which in turn again has led to rapid spread of infectious diseases. Action by Churches Together (ACT) International member, Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) reports that the water treatment plants all over the country are run down and that equipment is old and does not work properly. NCA is currently engaged in seven water treatment projects in the country. One of the programmes is at Al-Mazraa, about 40 km south of Baghdad. The original pumps of the water supply treatment plant no longer work properly. The water is visibly dirty and is not suitable for drinking. More than 6000 people in this area rely on the plant for their water.

Eight-year old Sanaa Shalal suffers from leukaemia. She needs fresh frozen plasma every day, which is available throughout Iraq, as there are enough blood donors. However, because of her weakened condition, she suffers from severe nosebleeds. Cancer medication and specifically medicines needed to treat leukaemia, are in short supply - although more readily available in Baghdad than in Basra in the south for instance. The Iraq government recently issued a list to the Iraqi Red Crescent of the medicines most needed. ACT International member Diakonie Emergency Aid (Germany) responded by sending a list with cancer medicines they will provide, preferably to the Mother and Child Hospital in Basra where cancer medicines are all but depleted.

A mother and child walking along a street in Basra in the south of Iraq. Basra is the second largest city in the county, but is today only a shadow of its former self. Run-down, its economy in ruins with hardly any jobs, no suitable drinking water and a power supply that limps along, Basra is home to a population where 35 percent of families have no means of income and rely solely on support of one kind or another. In summer, the city operates ten hours a day without electricity.

A market in the old city of Basra - a place where people can buy goods at reduced prices. Even so, many cannot afford the less expensive goods on offer - and compared to the markets of Baghdad, there is not much available here. The majority of people in Iraq depend on the monthly distribution of basic food items (no meat) under the food-for-oil program, which has allowed Iraq to import the basic supplies to alleviate the needs of the population in exchange for oil since 1996.



A child who lives on the streets of Basra. Children who live on the streets ask passersby for money and congregate in front of restaurants, hoping that the customers will give them either money or a little food.

Living conditions in the northern town of Mosul is better than in the south. The town is the gateway to the northern parts of the country and a commercial centre. People from the 'autonomous areas' come here to buy and sell goods at the markets. However, even here the impact of sanctions have been felt - most factories closed their doors a long time ago and it is extremely difficult to find employment. This youngster earns money by hawking cigarettes on the streets of Basra.

Edward David and Nadja Nissan and their 3-month old baby Asharina. Edward has been unemployed for ten months now. From time to time, he gets support from his brother in Canada. He and his wife live with seven other people in a three-room apartment in Mosul.

Two young men on a street market in Baghdad. Young people are often quite desperate to find work of some kind, but prospects are poor given the harsh economic climate.