Armed violence in Baghdad is making it harder for humanitarian agencies to provide their services, according to a report by IRIN (the UN's Integrated Regional Information Networks). Humanitarian agencies believe Baghdad is now the most dangerous place in Iraq to operate, and many of the people most in need of assistance are out of reach due to armed gangs roaming the streets.
"We don't have freedom to deliver aid to displaced families" Fatah Ahmed, vice-president of the Iraqi Aid Association (IAA), told IRIN. One of Fatah's colleagues was killed recently when delivering aid.
Civilians armed with guns, especially handguns, are the most significant threat facing aid workers, according to researchers at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva. The study 'No Relief' surveyed development and humanitarian personnel in 96 countries. It revealed that armed threats prevented 21% of aid workers reaching more than a quarter of the people they were supposed to help. |
