HELP - Iraq's Children are Suffering

An activist friend, who is also a mother and a grandmother, recently e-mailed to inform me of UNICEF's urgent alert - the immediate need of $37 million dollars to treat sick and wounded Iraqi children. The plight of Iraq's children has been a constant concern for anti-war humanitarian activists since the war began five years ago. Despite "The Surge" being touted as a resounding success by the Bush Administration, the appalling circumstances faced daily by Iraqi children have deteriorated drastically. An entire generation of children is endangered.

America's March 19, 2003 "Shock and Awe" attack on Iraq began a never ending nightmare of terror, suffering, pain, and death for Iraqi children.

Thousands of children have died in the unnecessary, illegal war that was forced upon their country. Thousands more have been orphaned. Tens of thousands have been blinded, lost limbs, taken bullets and shrapnel, been burned, brain injured, and psychologically and emotionally traumatized. Sadly, many wounded and sick children are being abandoned by parents, who as a consequence of the war, can no longer care for them. Currently within Iraq 1.6 million homeless children need medical treatment and food.

There are the kids who are wasting away from what the Iraqis call "the white death" - Leukemia. During the First Gulf War, American and British forces pounded Iraq with 975 bombs and missiles that were coated with depleted uranium. Unfortunately, America and Britain do not clean up after themselves. The radioactive shell casings, bullets, and bomb fragments littered all over Iraq will remain active for 4.5 billion years. Incidents of leukemia in Iraq have increased over 600% since the 1990's.


Billions of dollars worth of additional radioactive bombs, missiles, and rounds have pummeled Iraq since the inception of George W. Bush's crusade to "save" the Iraqi people. Is it any wonder Iraq has developed into the location with the highest most concentrated rate of Leukemia in the world? Even worse, the fact that there are very few doctors left in Iraq to care for sick and wounded children is compounded by a severe lack of basic medical supplies, equipment, and necessaary medicines.

But that is not all. The destruction of Iraq's infrastructure by American and British forces, plus Sunni and Shi'a religious combatants alike, has left 60% of the Iraqi people without safe drinking water and seas of raw sewage in the streets. Dehydration caused by diarrhea is stalking and killing Iraq's children and they face a renewed outbreak of Cholera during the summer months of 2008.


Malnutrition is a constant for these poor, war-weary innocent victims and they can't even go to school to forget their misery. Many schools have been closed or destroyed entirely. Often the journey to reach a school is far too dangerous for children to undertake. And now, in the southern province of Qadissiyah, 275 children have been stricken with leishmanaisis, a disfiguring skin idsease that can also lead to death if it attacks internal organs.

Although billions of taxpayer dollars were designated for the repair of Iraq's infrastructure and the rebuilding of it's institutions, most has been pocketed by American contractors or skillfully diverted to finance the continuing construction of 14 enduring / permanent US military bases instead.

It is apparent that the American government has no intention of taking responsibility to relieve the suffering they have visited on the youngest victims of the on-going war and occupation. Their childhoods have been stolen. How much more can Iraqi children withstand? An entire generation of children is endangered.

It is up to us to help. Please send something if you can or help by promoting public awareness about the plight of Iraq's children. If you prefer a more established charity donate to UNICEF. I chose to contribute to a smaller organization. I mailed a modest check to Iraq Health Now whose Project Coordinator, Kathy Murphy, has managed to ship containers with medical supplies, little wheel chairs, walkers, and crutches to the hospitals in Basra. Every little bit will help - money is needed for postage as well as supplies, so even a coupla bucks will be put to use.

Note: We save pennies, pocket change, and recycle cans and bottles. These funds accumulate and are put to use for political or charitable contributions. Our unimpressive but useful financial stash has once again enabled us to help others - for that I am thankful.

If they gave a war and nobody came,
Iraq's children would be living normal lives.
...........Kitchen Window Woman..........