Preparing for the Humanitarian Consequences of Possible Military Action Against Iraq

John is a member of the International Development Select Committee, whose report “Preparing for the Humanitarian Consequences of Possible Military Action Against Iraq” was published on 12 March 2003.

“What happens if the oil for food programme that feeds 60% of the Iraqi people suddenly stops - as it would in a war?” asked John.

“The huge question will arise of how the majority of people will be fed. Who will deliver humanitarian relief in the event of conflict? What will be the effects of destroying basic infrastructure? Bombing a power station cuts off the electricity which then shuts down the water pumping and purification stations. Large numbers of “internally displaced persons” driven from their homes are expected - and also hundreds of thousands of refugees trying to flee Iraq altogether.

Where will they be allowed to go if neighbouring countries keep their borders closed and refuse to allow them to cross? Who will support and manage large refugee camps at the borders? There are two and a half million Afghan refugees in Iran already, and of Iraq’s other neighbours only Syria has expressed any willingness to take in refugees - and they’d have a desert to cross to get there.

“So maintaining water supplies, feeding the people, coping with biochemical weapons as well as war casualties, and dealing with a large scale refugee crisis would all demand a massive international humanitarian response,” he added.

The Select Committee’s overall conclusion is that “we are not yet convinced that there is, to use The Prime Minister's words, "a humanitarian plan that is every bit as viable and well worked out as a military plan".

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