In Iraq 70 Percent of People Lack Clean Water

Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages at 12:00 PM on May 1, 2008.

The number of civilians in Iraq without water has risen from 50 percent to 70 percent during 2003 to 2007.

Post Tools
EMAIL
PRINT
9 COMMENTS

Share and save this post:

Got a tip for a post?:
Email us | Anonymous form

PEEK RSS Feed

Main AlterNet RSS Feed

Also in PEEK

Coke and Pepsi Fear Bottled Water Backlash
Michael E. Campana WaterWired

How We Are Going to Save Appalachia
Tara Lohan AlterNet

Your Summer Reading List for Water
Jared Simpson Waterblogged.Info

Less than half of Iraq's population of 29 million people have access to clean, drinkable water. And, according to a recent report by Oxfam, the number of civilians in Iraq without water has risen from 50 percent to 70 percent during 2003 to 2007 (the continued US occupation).

Recent History of Water in Iraq

In the recent past, Iraq had over 140 drinking water and treatment facilities in operation. Air attacks in 1991, during the Persian Gulf War destroyed many of these water treatment plants.

At the same time, UN imposed sanctions disallowed trade between Iraq and other countries. This made import of needed chemicals and supplies for upkeep of the water treatment facilities difficult.

By 2003, Iraq's 140 major water treatment facilities were operating at about 35 percent of their design capacity. In March 2003, the US government launched a direct-attack on Iraq. This continued war, for over five-years now, has rendered useless the already deteriorating water infrastructure systems across the country.

Years of political upheaval, sanctions against Iraq, consistent mortar attacks, and unstable-transitional governing bodies have made maintenance of the water treatment systems almost impossible.

Over 600 workers from the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works have been killed attempting to repair these networks since 2005. -- UNICEF

Unsafe water is also taking its toll. Iraq saw the worst outbreak of Cholera in recorded history in 2007.

While some measures are being taken to ensure water availability in Iraq...

UNICEF provides water on tanker trucks and distributes home-hygiene kits to civilians.

UNESCO has assessed water resources available in Iraq and evaluated possible management plans.

USAID has refurbished 10 water treatment plants and installed 70 small water treatment systems in rural communities.

The transitional Iraqi Government has been developing water policy.

The Iraq Water Project (Veterans for Peace in conjunction with LIFE) has sent small, sterilized water units for hospitals and schools and has been working to rebuild six water treatment plants in Iraq.

...really, though, these actions are not yet enough.

For it is true, if water conditions are to improve in this country, then current upheaval, war, and fighting in Iraq must come to an end.

"We have photos of the units we sent to several hospitals, including the city of Hit where there has been a recent outbreak of cholera, and we got a dandy little video of our Sterilight in action at al Mansour children's hospital in Baghdad." - The Iraq Water Project

Tagged as: water, iraq

Return to PEEK » Post Tools: EMAIL PRINT 9 COMMENTS PERMALINK

Also in PEEK
Coke and Pepsi Fear Bottled Water Backlash Looks like some consumers have finally discovered that gas is cheaper than most bottled water. Post by Michael E. Campana. July 15, 2008.	How We Are Going to Save Appalachia Stay tuned for regular posts each week on "Mountain Mondays" to find out the latest info about stopping mountaintop removal mining. Post by Tara Lohan. July 11, 2008.	Your Summer Reading List for Water The good folks at Waterblogged provide part 1 of their summer reading list. Post by Jared Simpson. July 10, 2008.

Comments	Turn comments off sitewide	Give us feedback »
Comments closed. The comments for this story have been closed. Thank you to everyone who participated.		View:
The same corporation that gets your city water contract probably had an Iraq contract too. [Report this comment] Posted by: thoughtcriminal on May 1, 2008 1:48 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] If not there, then in Afghanistan. Check www.corpwatch.org Here's a partial list: CorpWatch : U.S.A.: A Form of Disaster Capitalism is Reshaping ... Apr 18, 2005 ... In Afghanistan, the World Bank mandated "an increased role for the private sector" in water, telecommunications, oil, gas and mining and ... www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12126 CorpWatch : IRAQ: Halliburton Gave Troops Foul Water, Workers Say Jan 23, 2006 ... A Halliburton Co. subsidiary provided water to US troops at a camp in Iraq that was twice as contaminated as water from the Euphrates River, ... www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=13158 CorpWatch : IRAQ: KBR Faulted on Water Provided to Soldiers Mar 11, 2008 ... US soldiers at a military base in Iraq were provided with treated but untested wastewater for nearly two years by KBR, the giant government ... www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14975 CorpWatch : Report Exposes Bechtel as Threat to Iraqi Environment ... On April 17, Bechtel was awarded $34.6 million of an 18-month Iraq ... all key elements of Iraq's infrastructure, including electrical grids, water and ... www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=6968 CorpWatch : US: SF Firm Awarded Contract in Iraq Both construction projects awarded Thursday will follow water and power repairs already made by San Francisco's Bechtel Corp., which holds Iraq ... www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11123 CorpWatch : IRAQ: Bechtel ends Iraq rebuilding after a rough 3 years Nov 1, 2006 ... The San Francisco engineering company's last government contract to rebuild power, water and sewage plants across Iraq expired on Tuesday. ... www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14215 CorpWatch : Controversial Commando Wins Iraq Contract A new Iraq contract to create the world's largest private army goes to a ... are running the oil and gas fields, electricity, and water services in Iraq. www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11350 CorpWatch : Bechtel Wins Iraq War Contracts The first contract covers virtually all the major projects in Iraq such as seaports, two international and three domestic airports, potable water. www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=6532 CorpWatch : Big, Easy Iraqi-Style Contracts Flood New Orleans Sep 20, 2005 ... Dr. Eugene Stakhiv, Jerry Webb, and Dr. Edwin Theriot to the Middle East were dispatched to help the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources, ... www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12647 CorpWatch : Contractor Bechtel leaves disintegrating Iraq ... Nov 4, 2006 ... More than three years later, Bechtel says its work on Iraq's water and electrical plants, its bridges, schools and port, is done. ... www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14220 CorpWatch : IRAQ: 10 US Contractors Penalized Fluor and AMEC created a joint venture that has $1.7 billion in contracts to rebuild Iraq's electricity, water, sewer and trash removal infrastructure. ... www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11268 CorpWatch : Parsons has had Plenty of Contracts Worldwide ... "We want our kids to drink water like other kids elsewhere in the world." Another Iraqi engineer works to clean up the pumping stations that carry sewage to ... www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12005 [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: The same corporation that gets your city water contract probably had an Iraq contract too. Posted by: cwilsondrum what don't you understand about shock doctrine? [Report this comment] Posted by: cwilsondrum on May 1, 2008 6:00 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] If you want to rape the country, you have to destroy it first. corporate fascism. Haliburton,Bechtel,KBR,Monsanto, and the list of criminals goes on. It's called creating a customer base. or stealing everything,depending how you look at it. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: what don't you understand about shock doctrine? Posted by: Lauren It is Pure Genocide [Report this comment] Posted by: ronheri on May 2, 2008 1:04 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] First a false flag to invade Vietnam and now 911. WMD, and "terrorism" to destroy Iraq for oil and empire building. When does this all end? We tell them NO, stop this insanity. Cheney's reply..."so". I guess Iran's next huh? God help us. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: It is Pure Genocide Posted by: Lauren Pro-Life and... [Report this comment] Posted by: bobtr900 on May 2, 2008 8:17 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Family Values is what the right wingers call the fact that childrenb and their parents have no clean water. When the Rethugs take over our water systems and take away our clean water then we too will have Pro-Life and Family Values" from the Moral Majority of the Rethug party and their right wing religions, including my religion. I wonder how the Pope thinks what has been perpetrated on our troops and the Iraqi people is Pro-Life and Family Values. I wonder how the crew at EWTN(Eternal Word Television Network) think their constant calling for Pro-Life and Family Values does not pertain equally to the Iraqi people and our troops and their children. As a Catholic I plan on holding him and them fully responsible for the torture, death and destruction of the Iraqis and their families and those of our dead and maimed troops. All of this death and destruction is on their heads for their unending support of the Rethug party, occurring since before Reagan became prez and continuing unabated to this very day. I wonder if the Pope fears the loss of his eternal soul to the fires of hell. I doubt it, they never do. They just kill and torture for their religious ideology. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Pro-Life and... Posted by: Lauren Bombing water treatment plants is a war crime. It is a civilian target without any military value. [Report this comment] Posted by: yellow on May 3, 2008 1:01 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Considering the long lasting harm done to the civilian population in terms of disease, sanitation and dehydration, the destruction of and failure to restore the water treatment facilities, most of which rely on power from the nation's electrical grid system, is justly considered a war crime under international law. Bush and Cheney should be held accountable. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: The same corporation that gets your city water contract probably had an Iraq contract too. Posted by: cwilsondrum

» RE: what don't you understand about shock doctrine? Posted by: Lauren

» RE: It is Pure Genocide Posted by: Lauren

» RE: Pro-Life and... Posted by: Lauren

«	July 2008					»
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

PEEK archive by date:

Use » and « to view other months.

Search:

» RE: The same corporation that gets your city water contract probably had an Iraq contract too. Posted by: cwilsondrum

» RE: what don't you understand about shock doctrine? Posted by: Lauren

» RE: It is Pure Genocide Posted by: Lauren

» RE: Pro-Life and... Posted by: Lauren