Press Release
Press Release
17 March 2008
Iraq Five Years Later
As the Iraq War enters its tragic sixth year, it's becoming hard to imagine a time when refugees can go
home without fear. More than 4 million Iraqis have been uprooted, either fled to the neighbouring countries
or displaced internally. "Our families are being ripped apart, enough is enough?" Said Jabbar Hasan of
Iraqi Association in London.
So far, the international community has failed to address adequately Iraq's spiraling displacement crisis. It
has failed to help the basic needs of so many Iraqis - to shelter, health care and education - and to offer the
possibility of resettlement to the most vulnerable among the refugees. Some states have put the lives of
Iraqis at further risk by refusing to offer them sanctuary, cutting off their assistance or forcibly returning
them to Iraq despite the risks that they face there in central and southern Iraq.
"Many Iraqi interpreters, who were employed of the British army, have been murdered by extremists and
terrorists; others are fleeing from death squads but abandoned by the Home Office to grant them
sanctuary." Said Jabbar Hasan.
While sectarianism is not ingrained in poverty stricken communities of Baghdad but fostered by the politics
of bigotry and intimidation. The venom of this violence is not only affecting people in Iraq, but many of our
community members here also lost family members, relatives and friends.
The Iraqi government has failed to introduce practical measures to deal with the gross and serious human
rights violations perpetrated by its security forces. There appears to be no serious willingness to investigate
properly the many incidents of abuses, including killings of civilians, torture and rape, and to bring those
responsible to justice. The government has also been unable to ban militia groups. In Basra alone, more
than 150 women have been murdered in the last 12 months, equally many journalists were assassinated.
Despite the promises of speedy reconstruction after the invasion, economic recovery looks a similarly
distant prospect. The reconstruction has been exceedingly slow, partly due to the violence but also
because of poor planning, shortages of qualified and experienced personnel and widespread corruption.
For more information please contact Jabbar Hasan on 020 8741 5491 Email: info@iraqiassociation.org
To the editors:
- Iraqi Association operates IraqChild project in Iraq, helping injured and sick children. You can donate
online using our secure website www.iraqiassociation.org
- Iraqi Association also assists people with settlement and integration process, every year the organisation
helps more than 6000 people.
For more information please contact Jabbar Hasan on 020 8741 5491
Email: info@iraqiassociation.org
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