It has been a while since the start of the US led war in Iraq. It is a good time to look at the outcome of what was promised to improve the condition in Iraq, maybe that’s why the operation was named “Iraqi freedom”? To many it’s hard to believe that this war went on despite the great resistances from many of the world populations through demonstration and action of this kind. Let’s consider what has changed?
Leaders of aid programs that are present in Iraq are astonished to find that the war in Iraq has made the entire population of 27 million dependent on food aid. Before the war that the U.S. and Britain launched March 20th to remove the Saddam Hussein regime, 60% of the population had depended entirely on food aid. "Today, the lives of 100% of the Iraqi population, 27 million people, depend on the provision of monthly food rations," said UNICEF chief representative in Iraq, Carel de Roy.
The United Nations WFP (World Food Programme) chief representative in Baghdad, Torben Due says the crisis is unprecedented. "To avoid a food crisis in the country we have initiated the largest emergency operation in the 40 years history of the WFP," he told IPS in an interview on email from Baghdad. It has got so bad that conditions in which an individual or a family cannot meet essential needs of food, water, clothing, shelter, health and basic education over a long period. What is worse, the war halted income-generating activities for many Iraqis.
It is obvious that the United States and the United Kingdom did not wage war on Iraq for the officially stated reasons, targeting weapons of mass destruction. It has been said before the war began and proven throughout the developments of the war, that the war was primary “the war for oil”. It is hard to see the oil that belongs to the Iraqi people is being stolen rather than using the much needed money to better the life of Iraqi people and aid in the reconstruction of Iraq. Many large scale studies which have taken place in Iraq have shown the devastating effects that the war has on children (see reference 1).
What can be learned from all this. We must all open our eyes and educate our selves in the politics of the world. Never be fooled in the policy of the world’s great powers and continue the resistance when much needed. We can all hope that the future brings better life in Iraq and individually do our best to help.