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