Iraq: The Kurdish people 1994: A de

G.LANGE at LINK-GOE.comlink.apc.org G.LANGE at LINK-GOE.comlink.apc.org
Fri Jan 13 15:46:24 GMT 1995


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         The Kurdish people 1994: A depressing report
         ============================================
                             by

             Prof. Dr. Dr. Siegwart-Horst Guenther


Several weeks ago the allocation of food in Iraq has been shortened
again. The monthly rations per person now consist of 6 kg flour from
the worst quality, 1,250 kg of rice, 750 g of sugar, 625 g of oil
(margarine); only infants younger than one year receive 1 kg of milk
powder. At an average income of 800-1.200 Iraqi Dinars (ID), the prices
of the free market are, for the poor class , about 70%, exorbitantly
high: 1 chicken is traded with 950 ID, 1 kg of meat with 800 ID, 1 kg
of fish with 500 ID or 1 egg with 55 ID.

Short before Christmas again I could distribute a lorry-load of rice
and milk powder, from donations of SODI (Solidarity Service Inter-
national, Berlin), GIV (Society for International Communication,
Goettingen) and GKI (Yellow Cross International, Lichtenau, Austria),
to hungry Kurdish families. At ths same time there was offered a higher
quantity of medicine to the active doctors from the Red Crescent. This
relief supply has been received with high gratitude, in particular,
because for some time past such supplies have been attacked and it was
said to be also dead people connected with those attacks.

On the way to the desaster area I had a depressing experience: On the
trip I had seen a thin gotten, starving, on both legs crippled child
and I had given some food into the small hands. From a distance I saw in
the backmirror, how the child was attacked by surely also starving grown-
ups, who snatched everything away from it. Because of safety-reasons I
couldn't help.

I feel deep sympathy with the starving population in Iraq, particularly
also with the Kurdish people, who, to keep the receipt of the public
rations, must prove their Iraqi nationality. Some come away empty-handed
and are provided by helpful families from their meagre rations.

In the First World War the Kurds have been promised by the allies, in
return for a military support against the Turks, an own state. In the
peace treaty of Lausanne in 1923 this allied promise was out of the
question. After the victory the interests had changed, about 20
millions of Kurds have been handed over to the new-created countries.

After the gulf-war the Kurds, in expectation of American help, revolted.
But the Iraqi army knocked down the uprising. Fearing retaliation, a
refugee stream to the neighbour countries started: Nearly 1.25 millions
of Kurds flew to Iran, about 600.000 to Turkey. Non of these countries
was prepared for an influx of such a crowd. Daily hundreds of them died,
also from Cholera. I know these refugee camps and handed over the first
relief  shipments. There I could hold longer talks With Kurdish leaders:
They were depressed about their situation, in particular because of the
restricted freedom of movement. Most of the families wanted to return to
their villages, others to emigrate to European countries. My proposals
for a general amnesty have been corresponded to in Iraq. Many Kurdish
families returned to their villages to start new after the destructions.

In the last years developed, with support from abroad, a limited
autonomous region Kurdistan, the so-called "Peschmerga-area", whose
durable viability is doubtful. The regional Kurdish leaders are in
quarrel, they control only their small tribe area. Fights between
them are reported time and again.

According to Kurds more and more families in the "Peschmerga area" are
forced to decide about the participation in the military conflicts or,
as alternative, to leave the just repaired houses. Meanwhile about
200.0O0 Kurds flew to the by the Iraqi central government controlled
ares between Dohuk and Erbil near Mosul and live now in former barracks
or new arosen small villages.

The speech, held by Albert Schweitzer at the handing over of the Nobel
peace price in Oslo on 4th, November, 1954, is specially precious today.
He said: "The statesmen, who formed the world following peace nego-
tiations of the two wars, didn't have a lucky hand. They didn't strive
to create circumstances, which contained the possibility of a somewhat
prospering future, but were occupied predominantly to come to the ob-
vious conclusion from the fact of victory and to fix it". Unfortunately
this attitude didn't change until today.

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