: ICRC activities in July 2009 THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) HAS BEEN WORKING IN IRAQ CONTINUOUSLY SINCE 1980 RESPONDING TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF ARMED CONFLICTS

Overview Violence against civilians again made headlines during the month of July. A series of severe bombings took place, mainly in and the central part of Iraq. The ICRC remains concerned about indiscriminate attacks against civilians.

The organization responded to these attacks by assisting the hospitals that treated most of the injured. Around 12 tonnes of medical materials were delivered to Al Hamdaniya General Hospital, Al Jumhoury Teaching Hospital, Al Salam General Hospital, Talafar General Hospital and Al General Hospital (Ninewa governorate), Dohuk Emergency Hospital (Dohuk governorate) and General Hospital ().

Working with Iraqi Red Crescent Society, the ICRC also distributed hygiene kits and kitchen sets to 900 people affected by the explosion that hit the Shorija quarter of .

Visiting detainees and helping them to maintain contact with their families The ICRC regularly visits detention facilities to monitor treatment and conditions of detention. In July, ICRC delegates visited detainees:

● in Harithiya Prison (Baghdad governorate) under the joint authority of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence, in Rusafa Prison and Kadhimya Maximum Security Prison (both in Baghdad governorate) and in Fort Suse (Suleimaniya governorate), all under the authority of the Ministry of Justice, as well as in Al Juvenile Detention Facility (Baghdad governorate) under the authority of the Ministry of Labour and Social A airs; ● in five prisons in Erbil, Dohuk and Suleimaniya governorates. Many families braved the harsh summer heat and sand storms that hit the country to make the long journey to Camp Bucca where nearly 1,250 detainees received visits from their relatives in July. The visits were made possible thanks to financial support the families are receiving from the ICRC. Families and their detained relatives also used Red Cross messages, collected and distributed by the ICRC and the Iraqi Red Crescent to stay in touch. In July, more than 17,500 Red Cross messages were exchanged within Iraq and with relatives in other countries.

1 Providing clean water project doubled the capacity of the centre , which can receive now an average of 100 The water levels of the and Euphrates patients per day. The centre serves the rivers decreased dramatically setting off 14,000 inhabitants of the villages of alarm bells and leading to water shortages. Bazwaya and Al Mouafaqiya, and is the The drought that has affected the country nearest heath-care facility for around in the recent years has also had a severe 3,000 internally displaced families living impact on the population. The ICRC in the Five Forts camp; continues to support improvements to ● repaired two incinerators in General water infrastructure to ensure better Hospital, which has a capacity of 600 beds; access to safe water. In July, it: ● improved the quality of the water

● upgraded the water storage capacity of supplied by the Samara Water Treatment Al Rashad Psychiatric Hospital in , Plant, in Salah Eddin governorate; Baghdad, which has 1,300 beds; ● completed the Senik Quarter water ● cleaned the water storage tanks and supply project in Mala Omar village, in carried out repair work to improve the , as well as a project in electricity supply and the operating Khanaqin town to repair three wells theatre at Al Sadr Teaching Hospital supplying water to 6,600 people; which has 426 beds; ● provided a new caravan, with a women’s ● repaired the water supply of Al Jumhury consultation section, a pharmacy and Teaching Hospital in Mosul, which has 850 beds; two toilets, for the health-care centre in Al ● completed a drought response project Rahma settlement, in governorate. providing water to around 5,000 people in Around 24,000 people bene t from the ve villages who saw their water source services of this centre. disappear as a result of the drought in Aqra Water was delivered by truck to: district, in Dohuk governorate; ● repaired and expanded the Bazwaya ● Qalawa Quarter camp in Suleimaniya, primary health-care centre in Ba'asheka hosting around 360 internally displaced sub-district, in Ninewa governorate. The people; ● 4,500 displaced people and eight primary health-care centres in Sadr City, Al Kindi General Hospital, Al Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Al Imam Ali General Hospital and Al Rashad Psychiatry Teaching Hospital, all in Baghdad. Promoting international humanitarian law A series of presentations was organized for various audiences as part of the ICRC's activities to promote international humanitarian law and raise awareness of

ICRC the organization's mandate and activities © in Iraq.

ICRC Mission The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance. The ICRC also endeavours to prevent suering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles. Established in 1863, the ICRC is at the origin of the Geneva Conventions and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It directs and coordinates the international activities conducted by the Movement in armed conicts and other situations of violence.

For more information visit www.icrc.org or contact us at [email protected] for media inquiries contact: + 962 777 399 614 2