Iraq is by any measure a humanitarian catastrophe.  The complex crises facing Iraq and the Middle East are no longer limited by Iraq’s borders, and continuing violence and instability daily seem to destroy the hopes for peace and security for the people of the region.

Inside Iraq, ongoing deterioration of basic services, including the collapse of the health care system, lack of electricity and potable water, and personal and economic insecurity make daily life for Iraqis nearly impossible. Eight million Iraqis are in need of emergency assistance, and more than one in seven Iraqis have been forced from their homes.

Over two million Iraqis have fled to neighboring countries, with the majority in Syria and Jordan, and thousands more flee daily. Infrastructure in host countries is sorely inadequate, and the economic and political strain is increasing. It is the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world and the largest in the Middle East since the displacement of Palestinians in 1948. The chaos and violence in Iraq threaten to destabilize the whole region.  Joining us to discuss the event will be:

Raed Jarrar is an Iraqi political analyst and consultant to AFSC’s Iraq Program.  After the U.S.-led invasion, Jarrar became the country director for CIVIC Worldwide, the only door-to-door casualty survey group in post-war Iraq.  He then established Emaar, (meaning “reconstruction” in Arabic), a grassroots organization that provided humanitarian and political aid to Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs).  Emaar delivered medicine and food, helped initiate micro-enterprise projects for IDPs, and engaged in political advocacy on behalf of populations displaced due to ethnic discrimination.

Noah Baker Merrill spent four months living and working among Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Syria - conducting interviews, working to secure release for detainees, advocating for improvements of aid to Iraqi families, and consulting for UNHCR missions. He now coordinates the Direct Aid Initiative, a project of the Electronic Iraq news and analysis website, where he is a regular contributor, providing medical care to displaced Iraqis. He has worked on conflicts and peacebuilding efforts in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Noah is a lifelong member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

For more information on the tour, visit our website at www.afsc.org/iraq/tour or email sschwartz@afsc.org or call 415-565-0201 x24

Co-sponsored by UFPJ, Iraq Moratorium, Mt. Diablo Peace Center, UCSF Iraq Action Group, UCSF Student Health Professionals for Social Responsibility, University of San Francisco and Grace Cathedral