Environmental Effects of War: Health

This is more directly relating to the enviornmental effects of the war. Apparently the war has led to decreased health services and a lack of available clean water for those within Iraq... I can't find the full report that is mentioned, but from other sources that have summarized it, it sounds like it's pretty lengthy....


http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/OCHA-64CV6S?OpenDocument


"The new report estimates that more than 20,000 Iraqis have died between the start of hostilities and when the report was finalised late last month. The number of people affected by the aftermath of the war is still rising as the Iraqi people continue to pay the price in death, injury and mental and physical ill health.

'Limited access to clean water and sanitation, as well as poverty, malnutrition, and disruption of public services including health services continue to have a negative impact on the health of the Iraqi people,' says the report's author Dr Sabya Farooq."

American Company Profiteering off (American Caused) Destruction in Iraq

So I know that everyone is really busy, but I REALLY encourage you to check out this link:

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/search?q=haliburton

It's taken from the blog of an Iraqi women who uses the name "riverbend" - she fears the repercussions of revealing her true identity. She is 24 years old and before the war in Iraq she was a successful business woman. After the Saddam Hussein was taken out of power, she talks about how virtually non-existent differences between religious and ethnic groups flared and multiplied as the American forces divided power between them. As a result, conservative Islamic groups now have much power and she is no longer allowed to work.

This post from her blog focuses on the restructuring of Iraq. She talks in particular about a bridge being rebuilt by Halliburton. She reminds us that there is significant unemployment in Iraq as a result of the war, and that there are skilled engineers who are more than capable of rebuilding the bridges destroyed by American bombing. One of these engineers is her cousin, a bridge engineer for over 17 years who helped rebuild 20 of the bridges destroyed during the first Gulf War. His company appraised the rebuilding of the bridge at 30,000. Halliburton, however, got the contract and charged the Iraqi people 50,000,000 to rebuild the bridge.

She discusses how American companies are profiting off the destruction of Iraqi cities caused by American bombs. The American companies are driving Iraq into debt, which is especially atrocious once one is aware that Iraqi companies could do the same job for considerably less. In addition, the American companies are taking much needed jobs from the Iraqi's to giving them to American workers and contractors!

I realize this isn't directly related to the environmental effects of war, but I really wanted to share this because it does have to do with the destruction cased by war.

I REALLY recommend reading more of her blog, it provides a very unique perspective to the conflict in Iraq from someone who is actually experiencing it. Her blogs have also been published into two books entitled "Baghdad Burning." Also - a little endorsement here - if you find this interesting I strongly recommend that you take the class "Images of Women in the Middle East" taught by Kousha this fall (Sociology, Mondays from 1:10 - 4:10). She is from Iran herself and teaches the class incredibly well. It connects very well to this class and the readings are very interesting. I learned a lot from the class, and if you are interested in the Middle East, chances are you will love it too.