ACT News Update

Iraq 0803

Geneva, May 7, 2003

An ACT member 'needs assessment team' in Iraq was robbed earlier today (Wednesday, May 07, 2003). No-one was hurt during the incident .

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF)-Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) assessment team, visiting the Al Anbar governorate in the west of the country, was traveling in a two-vehicle convoy, when one of the cars fell behind. When the two cars were no longer in sight of each other, an armed group pushed the second vehicle off the road. The incident occurred 180 km west of the capital on the road between Ar Ramadi and Hit, near the Ramadi exit to the highway to Baghdad.

The five staff members of three ACT member relief agencies, LWF, NCA and Church of Sweden Aid, were shocked, but otherwise unhurt. The attackers made off with a small amount of money and a camera.

The team members reported that soon after the incident, they were passed by US forces vehicles, but despite signaling to the soldiers, they received no support.

Although shaken by the incident, the team members have decided to continue with their assessment in the area and will not be returning to Baghdad immediately. They will however explore the possibility of increasing security for their journey back to Jordan, as concerns have been expressed that the overall security situation in the country seems to be deteriorating.

Ten similar incidents are reported to have happened on the road from Jordan to Baghdad (Highway 10) over the last ten days. The attackers were always armed, shooting into the air and threatening people, before making off with whatever goods they could. In all cases the attacks took place in the area of Ar Ramadi.