Its purpose was to raise funds to support children’s health projects in Iraq. The 1990 Gulf War and 12 years of UN sanctions had contributed to deterioration of the health, nutritional status, and general well being of Iraqi children. With the increasing likelihood of another war AoC was concerned that the condition of children could deteriorate further. In order to be able to respond quickly and effectively to a changing and unpredictable situation it was decided that an AoC representative would be located in the field to identify needs and follow projects. The AoC field representative was based in Amman, Jordan, from January to April 2003, and moved to Baghdad April 23rd following the fall of the Baath regime. He has since relocated to Amman, along with most of the international humanitarian community, due to the poor security situation in Iraq.
AoC supported efforts carried out by humanitarian agencies working in Iraq. AoC played a unique and much appreciated role in Iraq. Two features are of particular note:
- AoC was a source of quick and responsive funding: Traditional funding sources often take months to process and approve requests. AoC could approve a project and transfer funds in as little as two weeks. This allowed AoC to respond to needs that otherwise would have gone unmet. With a representative based in the field AoC could verify needs and process requests quickly.
- Private funds: Given the highly political nature of the conflict many humanitarian agencies made the decision not to use funding from the governments of countries involved in the conflict. This was done with the hope of avoiding association with any political agenda. AoC partners and beneficiaries appreciated the generosity of private citizens responding to Iraqi children.
Comments from two AoC partners:
- “I want to thank you for all the support you have shown us in the last 2 years. Your genuine interest in our activities, your understanding of our principles, and the flexibility you have shown in dealing with our Iraqi and international teams make you an essential partner for us in Iraq and for the simple objectives of 'humanitarian relief' that we have tried to achieve.”
- “Our partnerships have been very fruitful and successful. In this emergency context, AoC has quickly responded to the needs, while still carefully considering if the requested funds or materials correspond with the actual needs. We highly appreciate the cooperation in the field as extremely impact focused, friendly and loyal.”
[AoC partner agencies are not named in this report. Due to the poor security situation humanitarian agencies operate with a very low profile. Although most international staff have relocated to Amman, Iraqi staff continue to work in Iraq for the benefit of children. For their safety they will go unnamed.]