Medical support for children suffering from leukemia / Advocacy/ Assistance for internally displaced people

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Program background

Three years on from the war, in May 2006 Iraq reached the stage of having a formal government. However, violent conflict has become worse due what is said to be opposition between different sects, and now the situation can be said to be developing into a civil war. Furthermore, thanks to the impact of the military surge conducted by the international military forces, the lives of ordinary people are becoming all the more dangerous. By July 2007 up to 2.2 million people had left home seeking safety and were living as refugees. A further 2 million people had fled the country as refugees (IOM report).

JVC is continuing to provide medical support for a hospital that is suffering from a lack of medicines. Furthermore, we are carrying out advocacy towards the Japanese government regarding the humanitarian crisis in Iraq. Also in 2007, we will provide assistance to internally displaced people in particularly difficult areas.

Summary of activities

1. Medical support for children with leukemia

In Iraq many children are suffering from leukemia and childhood cancer. A link has been identified between this and the radioactive elements present in the depleted uranium shells that were used in the 1991 Gulf War. The previous system whereby the Iraqi Ministry of Health distributes medicines to each hospital continues to be paralysed, and there is a shortage of medicines in many hospitals. As a result lives are being lost that should have been saved.

Since 2003, JVC has been providing medicines and medical tools for child leukemia and childhood cancer clinics that have a shortage of medical supplies. In 2005, the Japan-Iraq Medical Network (JIM-NET) was established in order conduct confidential information sharing with Iraqi medical assistance NGOs, companies and doctors that would facilitate the provision of effective assistance. Now also we are continuing to provide support through the JIM-NET network. Due to security constraints, this activity is based in neighbouring Jordan and carried out in communication with Iraqi doctors

2006 Annual Report
Based on the stated needs of four hospitals inside Iraq, we transport cancer drugs bought in Jordan and cancer drugs donated by a Japanese pharmaceutical company by road from Jordan directly to hospitals in Iraq For this work in 2006 JVC transmitted 4.5 million yen in aid money.

2007 Annual Plan
Since the previous system for the provision of medicines to each hospital by the Iraqi Ministry of Health is still not functioning, the situation continues to be that hospitals are in great need of medical supplies. We will address this by providing medical supplies through the JIM-NET network.

2. Research and advocacy

JVC is conducting advocacy based on the information that we gather through or activities and on the voices of local people. Our aim is to promote reconstruction work that allies with the wishes of the Iraqi people and to call for the Japanese government's aid to Iraq to be genuinely targeted at the people of that region

2006 Annual Report
We conducted research into the situation regarding medical supplies hospitals in towns such as Baghdad and Basra that treat leukaemia. As a result, we found that not only is there a shortage of medical supplies, but also we again established that doctors and patients are unable to go to hospitals because of assassinations and the general worsening of the security situation. Based on this research, JVC called upon the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to confirm the current crisis situation, reappraise its previously planned framework for reconstruction assistance that focuses on infrastructure, and to provide aid that meets people's basic needs for living.

2007 Annual Plan
Following on from our previous work, we will continue to carry out research and policy advocacy that picks up on the problems of the humanitarian crisis taking place on the ground in Iraq and sounds the alarm where necessary.

3.Support for internally displaced people

There are 2.2 million people living as internally displaced people within the country, and over 2 million people have fled abroad. The majority of the internally displaced people are living temporarily at their relatives' houses, without a source of income. Support from the Iraqi government for basic needs such as water, food and medicines is not sufficient, and international aid is being sought

2007 Annual Plan
JVC will cooperate with a local NGO to provide assistance to internally displaced people in Fallujah city in Anbar Province in Western Iraq. As the first wave of assistance, we will provide rice and beans as supplementary food aid for approximately 600 families who are in greatest need.