Another view:
Iraqis Face Violence, Despair, Joblessness
By Omar Anwar, Reuters
BAGHDAD (May 12) - Plagued by relentless violence, Iraqis have little cause for hope economically and socially, having suffered a tragic plunge in living standards and high unemployment, a Planning Ministry survey showed on Thursday.
The situation in the oil power once regarded as an intellectual and economic hub of the Arab world is rapidly deteriorating, the survey showed.
"This survey shows a rather tragic situation of the quality of life in Iraq," Minister of Planning Barham Salih told a news conference.
"These statistics reflect the contrast between the wealth of this country and the deteriorating level of all vital sectors for Iraqis."
Iraq's new government, formed two weeks ago, faces the daunting task of restoring security and public services for an economy that has been battered by wars and trade sanctions.
The survey, conducted by the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and the United Nations Development Program with funding by the Norwegian government, was taken in the second half of last year in 18 provinces.
Unemployment is running at an alarming 50 percent, the survey said, raising questions over whether a growing number of young Iraqi men will join the insurgency.
It showed that 33.4 percent of youth were unemployed while 37.2 percent of high school and college graduates were jobless.
Thirty three percent of Iraqis are underemployed.
In contrast, unemployment stood at 3.6 percent in the 1980s, when Iraq was locked in a costly war with Iran, and 13.6 percent in the 1990s, when United Nations sanctions crippled the economy after Saddam Hussein's troops invaded Kuwait.
Iraqis were hoping that the fall of Saddam in 2003 would eliminate state control over industries and deliver prosperity.
But even basic services are not available for most people.
Eighty five percent of households suffer from erratic electricity supply, the survey revealed. Only 54 percent of Iraqi families have access to clean water, and 37 percent of homes are connected to a sewage network, compared to 75 percent in the 1980s.
Two decades ago, Iraq had one of the highest medical standards in the Middle East, but hospitals now overwhelmed by bombing and shooting victims suffer from a severe lack of equipment and medicine.
The number of mothers who die during labor has reached 93 in every 100,000 births in Iraq, compared to 14 in Jordan and 32 in Saudi Arabia, the survey said.
"It clearly shows the deteriorating health services in Iraq," said the survey.
After bickering for three months after Jan. 30 elections, Iraq's new cabinet faces the challenge of rebuilding economic and social services in a country where suicide bombings, shootings and kidnappings have kept foreign investment away.
Twenty-five percent of Iraqi families could not generate the equivalent of $70 in a week to cope with an emergency, the survey said.
"Every social economic indicator is considered a tragedy especially knowing the fact that Iraq is a very wealthy country," said Salih, who called for help from the international community.
"Iraqis need schools, health services and employment opportunities ... There has been progress over the last three years but a lot still needs to be done. I hope the priority is to get it done," he said.
05/12/05 14:55 ET
Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. |
