Sanctions – our moral problem

For many decision-makers it is convenient to focus on the brutality of the Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein and leave the deeply inhuman consequences of our sanctions over the last 12 years untold. But, in the eyes of a visitor to Iraq, the moral high ground of the West has crumbled. Before going to Iraq, we too were quite ignorant about the facts and complexities; we were shocked by the reality.

During our fact-finding missions we collected statistics from international organisations, interviewed virtually all the heads of missions of the United Nations and humanitarian organisations. We met with Iraqi officials and visited hospitals.

Playing down the effects of our sanctions – without evidence

Governments that have no embassies and no independent fact-finding in Iraq can hardly know much. They must base their policies on what is politically correct and convenient for their policies in relation to other issues and other countries.

Thus, for instance, the Swedish minister of foreign affairs, Ms. Anna Lindh, has repeatedly stated that the people of Iraq suffer because of Saddam Hussein’s wrong priorities and not because of the sanctions. She asserts that a) the elite have received advanced medical technology to treat cancer, but not the people; and b) that since the oil export ceiling was lifted in 1999, Iraq now exports more oil than ever. This presumably implies that there is enough money to care for people’s needs. Other politicians have used similar arguments, and the media willingly forwards them without research or further questions asked.

Unfortunately, statements like these are not backed up by evidence. And they do not cover even a fraction of the comprehensive truth about the situation in Iraq.

© 2003 Jan Oberg Children in the bazaar area, Baghdad 2003

The basic facts

We have collected basic statistics concerning the lives of the Iraqis from recent, open United Nations reports that we obtained in Iraq in January 2003. (Thus, they could have been collected by any scholar, journalist and parliamentary delegation who wanted to know).

The data covers the changes that have taken place since the late 1980s and early 1990s, i.e. a period in which the regime has not conducted any wars. When discussing the effects of the sanctions, it is not enough to compare the situation in 1996 when the Oil for Food Programme began to be implemented with today. It is true that several improvements have taken place during that period. The essential fact is that all statistical indicators dropped in the preceding period between 1991 to 1995; Iraq wanted to care for its own people in spite of the sanctions, and the government – like the international community – had no idea that sanctions would last more than a decade and cripple society to the extent they did.

Second, the statistics compare the present situation with the time when the Iran-Iraq war, the Kuwait invasion and the allied war on Iraq had already reduced the quality of life in the country. For instance, you will see that today’s GNP per capita is 15 per cent of what it was after these terrible events.

Iraqi population: roughly 24 million in 2000. Some 45% of the total population is under 14 years of age, only 4% is over 65.

CHILD HEALTH

– Infant mortality: 47/1000 in late 1980s, 107 now.

– Under-five child mortality: 56/1000 ten years ago, today 131.

– Child death causes: 70% due to diarrhoea, dehydration and acute respiratory infections.

– Malnutrition: Acute 8%, underweight 20%, chronic 30%

– Water: 5 million without safe water. Between 1990 and 2000, the daily per capita amount of potable water in both urban and rural areas decreased by more than 50%.

– People attending outpatient clinics for mental/psychological disorders: 200,000 in 1990 and 510,000 in 1998.

SCHOOLING

– No longer attending primary school: 31% girls, 18% boys

– No longer attending secondary school: 50% boys and 60% girls

– Teacher salary: US $ 3-5; shifts, classes of up to 60 pupils, outdated curriculum

5,100 new school buildings need to be built, 70% of existing schools need rehabilitation

– Literacy rate 1998: 58%, used to be much higher in the 1980s due to literacy campaigns; thus, adult literacy rate was 72% in 1987.

– Female illiteracy has increased from 8% in 1985 to 45% in 1995.

POVERTY & DEVELOPMENT

– GNP per capita/year down almost 7-fold since 1990 to US$700

– Value of Dinar: 0,33 to the dollar in 1990, 20,000 to the dollar in 2002; devaluation 6000%

– Oil revenue: 35 billion dollars between 1996 and November 2002

– Since 1991, Iraq’s rank on UNDP’s Human Development Index fell from 96 to 127, out of 174. No other country has fallen so far, so fast. In 1990, Iraq ranked three places above Jordan; by 2000, it ranked 34 places below.

– Pre-Gulf War debts US$ 130 to 180 billion, 25% of oil income given away for war reparations (to Kuwait).

FOOD

Roughly 3.7 million families currently receive an average of 2,470 kcal per person per day from the food ration. Food ration is distributed by the Iraqi government through 40,000 shops.

*Statistics from various UN organisations’ publications obtained by TFF in Baghdad 2003.