| By:
Nadine Fazza, Lana Haddadin and Lina Naim*
* ninth graders at the National Orthodox School, Amman
The Iraqi people used to live happily and
safely before the Gulf War. Since then, that great and successful country
turned into a mourning place due to the merciless and irresponsible
actions of the allied forces.
Every ten minutes, an Iraqi child dies as a
result of the disastrous sanctions. People in Iraq are nowadays suffering
severely from the lack of food, medicine and clean water. About twenty
million people live in Iraq. Five hundred to one hundred thousand Iraqi
children die every year. In the first eight months of the year 1991, forty
seven thousand children died. Nothing whatsoever can justify the death of
such a great number of people.
The Americans have devastated every aspect
of Iraqi life, its economy, its educational, electrical and water systems.
Iraqis are suffering from water borne diseases, malnutrition and many
other “ incurable” diseases. The Iraqis are cruelly being tortured.
During the Gulf War, the Americans bombed
the shelter where Iraqi civilians were hiding, and killed hundreds of men,
women and innocent children who were fighting for a better life away from
all kinds of violence. This shelter that was destroyed without mercy is
known as “ Al-Ammeriah Shelter”.
The children in Iraq are the real victims;
the allied forces have destroyed their future and that of their country.
When Madeline Albright was once interviewed, the interviewer asked,” we
have heard that half a million children have died, that is more than those
who died in Hiroshima. Is the price worth it?” The U.S. representative
answered,” we think the price is worth it.”
Everyone has the right to be educated; this
right should extend to all people. Unfortunately, the Iraqi children study
in schools that have leaky roofs, broken windows and few supplies. Others
are supporting their families by running in the streets in request of
subsistence.
Three hundred fifty nuclear wastes were
thrown on Iraq. These fatal wastes caused a tremendous increase in cancer
rates. Furthermore, the Iraqi people are deprived of basic anesthesia to
ease their pain. Drug houses also have few supplies of medicine. The
situation in Iraq is intolerable and the suffering is unimaginable. We all
have to contribute in helping the Iraqis through their ordeal and try to
stop the embargo and sanctions against them.
What happened in Iraq will be imposed in
our memories, and whenever we remember how Iraqis were, and still are,
mistreated, we will ask ourselves, “ Is the price really worth it?”
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