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 Update for February, 2012 

 Art Dorland, Chair, IWP

 

Here is a report of Iraq Water Project activity covering the period since August 2011, the previous update.

In January IWP placed the 120th water unit installed during this phase of the project, which commenced in 2006. We have used both ultraviolet and reverse osmosis technologies, RO chosen more consistently by the installers as time and experience progress.

From July through January eight units were plumbed into various hospitals and medical centers; two dental clinics received a unit each, as well as Nassiriya Technical Institute, a school serving 4000 students, which was given two units. All these institutions are in Thi Qar Province, southern Iraq.

One of the clinics, by the way, is called the Sumer Dental Center, and if its name conforms to truth in advertising, they have been pulling teeth there a very long time indeed. Small wonder they need improvements.

This is our method of operation: an Iraqi NGO in Nassiriya, partnered with IWP in this work, proposes the appropriate sites for placement. Upon approval---almost always given---their technician, who is also director of the NGO, completes the task. We have now before us a proposal to improve the totally wrecked bathroom facilities of an elementary school in their area. The photos look like they were taken by a pith helmeted archaeologist opening some four thousand year old tomb. Hard to believe Iraqis have to send their children into conditions like these, especially considering the gaudy promises made them by our United States government for the privilege of invading their interesting country.

We may also provide units for the dorms at the technical institute.

The reasons IWP now cooperates with this particular Iraqi NGO, and what happened to our own installation team, are explained in the previous update. The Nassiriya organization is easy to work with and furnishes excellent photographic documentation. We do not have vfp members on the ground at project sites---and haven’t for many years---for the simple reason that a distinct security threat hangs like a dark sword over Iraqis seen or suspected of associating with Americans. This was decidedly not the case prior to the 2003 invasion when the country welcomed several vfp delegations. For the same reason personal Iraqi names do not appear on this website.

Our present arrangement with the Nassiriya NGO has the disadvantage of confining project reach to the Thi Qar Province. In the past IWP had a team of three technicians operating out of Baghdad and traveling to many areas of Iraq, north and south, to make unit placements. This team was lost to us last summer. Consult the previous update.

As always, we thank our project supporters and invite others to join in. We look forward to the day when Iraq will have a stable and half way honest government responsible enough to begin addressing the disastrous health situation all over the country. That day still seems very far away.

Art Dorland, Iraq Water Project Chair