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Iraqi
Women League - UK Clare
Short 14 April 2003 Dear Clare Short We are writing to ask for an urgent meeting to raise a number of issues with you. We are a group of Iraqi women in exile who have come together at the initiative of the Iraqi Women’s League (IWL). IWL started in 1952 in Iraq and has been active in the UK since 1979 providing support and practical help to Iraqi women in exile. Many of us have family in Iraq. Until the start of the war we were in daily contact but now the telephone lines are down and we don’t know what is happening. We are desperately worried about their safety and welfare. In some cases we don’t know whether our families are alive. We know, as you must, that in many places there is no safe drinking water, food, electricity and inadequate or non-existent medical care. Women are desperately trying to care for the injured, the sick and young children in these horrendous conditions and many are effectively imprisoned in their own homes because of fear of attack. Many more people will die, especially, children, older people, the injured and mothers unless help is received within the next few days. We want to know whether we will see as much money and dedication put into saving lives as there was into the bombing. The issues we wish to raise are: 1. The UN should immediately be in charge of the reconstruction of Iraq and delivering humanitarian aid. The US and UK must end their occupation and let the UN set up an interim administration. 2. Food and safe water must urgently be provided for each woman, child and man. This should be given directly to women, the primary carers, not to who is assumed to be the head of the household. 3. Priority for food and water must be given to breast-feeding mothers to protect their milk supply, and thus ensuring the survival of both mothers and small children. Baby milk formula must not be provided in aid packages as it results in illness and the death of babies. 4. Urgent provision of medical supplies. These must be based on what Iraqi nurses and doctors say is needed rather than allowing the pharmaceutical companies to decide what they want to send. 5. Immediate restoration of water facilities, electricity and telephone lines. 6. Provision of a welfare system as people are now without an income and the most vulnerable people such as single mothers, elderly people and those with disabilities are the main sufferers. 7. The reconstruction should be carried out by Iraqi people with active support of the UN, not by US owned companies or other multi-nationals. 8. The reconstruction should be paid for by the countries which waged this war rather than by the Iraqi people. The oil revenue should not be used to pay for reconstruction because it is required for the well-being of the Iraqi people who have suffered so much. 9. A date must be set now for free elections under the supervision of the UN. No leaders should be imposed from outside. Iraqi people should be allowed to decide on their constitution. 10. Urgent cleaning up of cluster bombs and depleted uranium, paid for by those responsible for unleashing these weapons which will otherwise kill and maim Iraqi people, particularly children and unborn babies, for generations to come, massively increasing women’s suffering and workload. 11. Release of all political prisoners, and revealing the fate of the “disappeared”. We are particularly concerned about thousands of women imprisoned under the Saddam Hussain regime. We have raised this issue before with the UK government. 12. Right of return for all displaced, deported women, children, men and their families, no forced return of exiled people. Ensuring the right of full citizenship for people returning to Iraq. 13. Protection of women's rights according to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention for the Prevention of Violence Against Women. 14. Protection of children's rights according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Can you please contact us immediately with a date to meet? We have asked representatives of the Global Women’s Strike to be part of our delegation. We share their belief in ‘Invest in caring not killing’, and approached them for help. We have been working together to make visible the cost of war and sanctions to our communities in Iraq beginning with women and children, and our needs. We urgently await your reply. Yours sincerely,
Clair Cohen |