HUMANITARIAN AID IN IRAQ
Background, Application and Critical Analysis
By Joanne Dufour, Seattle, Washington

For suggested use in the following courses: World History; Current Events: Contemporary World; United States History/Foreign Policy; Political Science; Health -Disaster Units; English-Human Rights Units

Objectives: SWBAT

1. gain an appreciation for the impact of war on a civilian population
2. engage in a process of determining/estimating casualties and making preparations to help them
3. learn about refugees and Web site resources of relief aid
4. make local connections
5. support efforts you believe in

Key Words: Disaster Management, Humanitarian Assistance, Code of Conduct, Non Government Organizations/Private Voluntary Organizations, United Nations High Commission for Refugees

Background:

War inevitably creates civilian casualties. Some civilians make the decision to leave a war zone for a safer region and become refugees. In doing so, the area into which they flee is put into the position of providing some kind of accommodations for their safety and welfare. This responsibility falls to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. It partners with Private Voluntary Organizations which set up and run refugee camps to provide basic services of shelter and food to the refugee population.
Your task is to consider the consequences of the ongoing war on Iraq on the civilian population and to anticipate that if the war proceeds for any length of time, the number of civilians fleeing their homes will increase dramatically. For those who make the choice of leaving Iraq, where will they go? This lesson is designed to help your students think through this process and support efforts of their choosing.

Materials:

• On the Web site of the UNHCR you may find a map of Iraq and neighboring countries which shows the locations of the offices already set up and the refugee settlements. UNHCR refugee settlement map
  
  
• By checking the Web sites of Oxfam, The International Committee of the Red Cross, Save the Children, Mercy Corps and Catholic Relief Services, you can read press releases and current developments of some refugee efforts. Additional information is available from Interaction.org for a current list of agencies doing work in Iraq and links to each and Relief Web.int for a current update on developments in Iraq.
  
  
• Call your local newspaper for information on local efforts to help the humanitarian situation. If they have not yet done a story on this topic, urge them to do so. Or you may wish to share your findings in a letter to the editor.
  
  
  

Correlation to national standards

Procedure:

Five tasks are suggested. These tasks may either be followed sequentially by the entire class or divided up into groups with each group reporting back to the class as a whole. Students may be asked to read the assigned task, research or brainstorm answers and devise a way of presenting their findings to the class. Questions may be divided up among members of the group. Trying to find answers may generate additional questions. These are to be encouraged and shared as the sense of urgency and appropriate response are learned.

Task 1: Locating Assistance Efforts
Draw or find a map of Iraq showing its neighbors.
Utilizing the Internet or school sources, determine the location of the major population centers of the country. (CIA Factbook Iraq) If large numbers of people flee from the dense areas of population, what neighboring country is the nearest? In planning relief efforts, where would you locate refugee camps? What accommodations would have to be considered for weather conditions and physical features like the availability of water resources?

Task 2: Providing for basic needs
What is needed to set up a refugee camp? Create a list of supplies? How can the cultural issues such as food preferences be included to help create a feeling of comfort? What accommodations will be made for shelter? For food preparation and distribution? For basic needs such as water, and latrines? For health care? For communication, transportation. If people have to stay in the camps for any period of time what activities can they be involved in? How will these be planned and organized?
How will the camp be staffed? What kinds of resources will be needed?

Task 3: Coordinating services
Where will the camps be placed? How will the host government be involved? Who will be accommodated/allowed in the camp? What special needs should you anticipate? How will you ensure that people can communicate with each other?
From where will you get the supplies? Who will pay for the supplies? How will money be obtained to pay for these supplies?

Task 4: Abiding by the Code of Conduct
How will your effort be sure to follow the Principle Commitments of the Code of Conduct developed by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent and other NGOs in Disaster Relief:

1. The humanitarian imperative comes first.
2. Aid is given regardless of the race, creed or nationality of the recipients and without adverse distinction of any kind. Aid priorities are calculated on the basis of need alone.
3. Aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint.
4. We shall endeavor not to act as instruments of government foreign policy.
5. We shall respect culture and custom.
6. We shall attempt to build disaster response on local capacities
7. Ways shall be found to involve program beneficiaries in the management of relief aid.
8. Relief aid must strive to reduce future vulnerabilities to disaster as well as meeting basic needs.
9. We hold ourselves accountable to both those we seek to assist and those from whom we accept resources.
10. In our information, publicity and advertising activities, we shall recognize disaster victims as dignified human beings, not hopeless objects.

Task 5: Making local connections
Non governmental organizations are taking the initiative at this time to work with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in the setting up of refugee camps. Some of the lead organizations are Oxfam, International Committee of the Red Cross, Save the Children, Mercy Corps. Are branches of these organizations in your local area. You may wish to contact them to find ways to support their efforts. Perhaps you can arrange for a speaker to come to your class, or you can initiate an effort supported by the class to help address humanitarian needs in the current crisis.

Assessment:
If this is done as a cooperative group exercise, assessment can be made by individual team members of team tasks, by class members on how well each group presented their topic, by the instructor on a rating scale which might consist of the following criteria: clarity of presentation; creativity of presentation; extent of research - if so assigned; group organization and cooperation; action following research.

Correlations to National Standards:

National Council for the Social Studies: Global Connections IX:
b. Explain conditions and motivations that contribute to conflict, cooperation and interdependence among groups, societies and nations.
e. Analyze the relationships and tensions between national sovereignty and global interests, in matters such as territory, economic development, nuclear and other weapons, use of natural resources, and human rights concerns
f. Analyze or formulate policy statements demonstrating an understanding of concerns, standards, issues and conflicts related to universal human rights.

MCREL Thinking and Reasoning Standards
Standard 2 - Understands and applies basic principles of logic and reasoning
Standard 6 - Applies decision-making techniques

MCREL Life Skills, Working with Others Standards
Standard 1 - Contributes to the overall effort of the group
Standard 4 - display effective interpersonal communication skills
Standard 5 - Demonstrates leadership skills

Geography Standards

• Places and Regions - understands the physical and human characteristics of place
  
  
• Human Systems -
  Understand the nature, distribution and migration of human populations on Earth's surface
  Understands the nature and complexity of earth's cultural mosaics
  Understands the patterns of human settlement and their causes
  Understands the forces o cooperation and conflict that shape the division of Earth's surface
  

Civics Standards

• Basic Values and Principals of American Democracy
  Understands the importance of Americans sharing and supporting certain values, beliefs, and principles of American constitutional democracy
  Understands the roles of voluntarism and organized groups in American social and political life

Author Doug DuBrin taught Social Studies and Literature at the Arizona School for the Arts for 4 years. Before that he taught at the Near North Montessori School and the Monroe Middle School in Rochester, NY. He has a BA from the University of Rochester and a MA from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

To find out more about opportunities to contribute to this site, contact Leah Clapman at extra@newshour.org.