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Map of Iraq 2002.Report from Baghdad

Iraqi Churches Continue Relief Work Despite War

March 27, 2003 Click to Visit Global News

Amman, Jordan: Today a representative of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) reported from Baghdad on the situation and the churches' relief work in the beleagered city. MECC has been instrumental in setting up a church-based relief system to respond to humanitarian needs resulting from the military action against Iraq.

Speaking to Nils Carstensen of Action by Churches Together (ACT), he said, "All of us are affected by what's going on. The children, the elderly - we all have a feeling at times that they are bombing everywhere and that there is no safe place in Baghdad. Even the markets and churches have been hit.

"When the bombing starts, my own son and daughter are terrified. They cry and cry and I can see the fear in my son's face. He does not want to eat and he holds his hands to his ears to try to keep the sounds of the bombs out. He's doing that right now because they have just started bombing again. You can hear it.

"We are continuing to try to help people through churches and relief centers here in Baghdad and in places like Mosul and Basra. The situation in Basra is even worse than here, because the fighting is so much worse there."

"Today, I have distributed canned fish, spaghetti, juice and about 300 blankets to the centers and churches and tomorrow we'll distribute more things. We continue to buy stocks of food for the relief centers, such as rice, tea, sugar, tomato paste, oil, milk powder, spaghetti, palm honey, jam, sardines and other canned goods. We have also distributed first aid kits and blankets. 147 water tanks are available. It is very difficult to find transport now, because of the danger of moving about, but we're still succeeding. Food is becoming scarce in the markets and the prices are going up. Still, only a few people have asked for assistance. We are trying to keep some of the stock for the coming days or weeks when the situation may be even worse.

"More people are now coming to the churches at night hoping that it may be safer to sleep there. Both Christians and Muslims are coming. In one church I know of, 150 people are sleeping there and in another 80. Some people have left the city for amongst other places, Mosul to the north. I hope to be able to go there soon to see if anything needs to be done for the relief centers there. Again it is difficult to undertake such travel but I hope we may succeed."

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is one of Action by Churches Together's (ACT) partners in this humanitarian response. ACT is an ecumenical coalition that includes many groups, such as the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and Church World Service (CWS). One hundred percent of your tax-deductible gift to Advance #623225 "Iraq Emergency" will be used for this response. The generous giving of United Methodists to the One Great Hour of Sharing supplements the cost of Advance gifts. Give through a local United Methodist church or send financial contributions to: UMCOR, 475 Riverside Dr., Room 330, New York, NY 10115. Call 1-800-554-8583 to make a credit card donation.

Source: Action by Churches Together, http://www.act-intl.org.

The map(s) is in the public domain, adapted from one(s) obtained the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection.