KATE SEELYE: In a village in southeastern Iraq, a herd of sheep is delivered to an Iraqi war widow.
They are part of an income-generating project sponsored by the Oregon-headquartered Mercy Corps. A non-faith based humanitarian organization, Mercy Corps sponsors relief and development programs worldwide.Unidentified AID WORKER (To Woman): Tell her they'll be her sheep and her responsibility.
SEELYE: Mercy Corps has been based in the town of Kut, two hours south of Baghdad, since the end of the war. In response to local demands, it is sponsoring a variety of projects -- replacing damaged water and sewage pipes, rehabilitating water treatment plants, and reconstructing schools. Aid worker Cassandra Nelson says Mercy Corps is providing invaluable services to a long neglected part of Iraq. But working here, she says, is not without risk.
CASSANDRA NELSON (Aid Worker, Mercy Corps): Even if we are in a safer area than others, there are still explosions and gunshots. It happens around us on a fairly regular basis.SEELYE: Working in conflict zones is an inherently risky business. But in Iraq these days, NGOs are increasingly under fire because of who they are and the work they do. Those responsible for attacks are said to be supporters of the former regime, foreign fighters, and even disgruntled local residents. Some believe the attacks, like the one on the Red Cross, are intended to undermine efforts to stabilize the country.
Caught in the midst of a controversial occupation in which they have been targeted, aid agencies here are asking themselves some tough questions. Should they stay or should they go? At what point does the risk they run outweigh the value of the work they do?
Mercy Corps has chosen to keep its 25 international staff in place. Most of its programs are in a relatively stable part of the country. But the agency did face initial public mistrust. Aid workers say several grenades were thrown at their homes. But after reaching out to local officials and religious leaders, tensions were resolved, says aid worker Michael Cooper. And the agency feels increasingly accepted by the community.
MICHAEL COOPER (Aid Worker, Mercy Corps):As long as we feel confident that they need the assistance and are welcoming the assistance, we'll stay. And how do we do that? It's a matter of going out and interacting with the community, of not having armed guards and barbed wire and that sort of thing; it's going to the weddings, it's going to the hospital when your guard has a new baby and you want to celebrate that moment with them.
SEELYE: The organization feels secure enough to maintain a highly visible presence. Its cars and offices are clearly marked. But Cooper admits that even total community acceptance may not guarantee security.
Mr. COOPER: I feel comfortable to go downtown to shop for bread, to get a haircut, to shop for a sweater. I don't feel threatened. Of course, in the back of my mind I think, "Gee, someone could walk right up to me and put a bullet in my head." I don't know why I take that risk. I guess it's because I think the work we're doing is really worth it.SEELYE: In Baghdad, aid agencies say fear of attack is even greater. In response, most have employed armed guards. All are keeping a low profile.
At this youth center run by Norwegian Church Aid, there are no flags, signs, or logos. NCA offices are also unidentified. Country representative Tore Winsvold says that he and his staff have been disturbed by the wave of attacks, but the NCA is committed to staying.
Mr. WINSVOLD:I think you can only show it in practice. You should not be seen together with soldiers. We never socialize with the forces, never, and we try to avoid them.
DAVID PANKRATZ (NGO Coordination Committee): As a group they don't quite believe that we would be here just to help them, just as they don't believe that George Bush sent 150,000 soldiers here just to get rid of Saddam Hussein for them.
Dr. SWAD EL-FARRAJ: I need new everything.
SEELYE: Though many foreign aid workers have left, thousands of local employees are carrying on much of their work. At the Amal Association, an Iraqi NGO, an aid worker prepares medicine kits for distribution to mobile clinics.
