Water is fundamental to life. No one can survive without sufficient water for drinking, cooking, washing, and general hygiene. For this reason, international law recognizes access to safe water as a basic human right—“indispensable for leading a life in human dignity”—as well as an integral component of the rights to life, health, and housing.8
The current invasion of Iraq by the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia poses a grave threat to the right to water of Iraq’s 24 million inhabitants, almost half of them children under the age of 15.9 Anglo-American military forces have already laid siege to numerous urban centers in southern and central Iraq, disrupting electrical, water and sanitations systems that sustain millions of civilians.10 With the approach of summer, when temperatures in this region regularly exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit,11 the likelihood of water-borne disease epidemics is alarmingly high.12
In Basra, the Anglo-American blockade deprived one million residents of access to safe drinking water for almost two weeks.13 UNICEF warned that “there are 100,000 children in Basra at risk for severe fever and death because one water treatment plant stopped functioning.”14 The regional spokesperson for UNICEF described a “most dire” humanitarian crisis:
The situation is leading to a rise in disease and we’ve already seen some incidents of cholera now in the south, as well as what we call Black Water Fever, which is extremely deadly if you're under 5…[The cholera outbreak] is of extreme concern to us because not only does it show that there's been a major impact due to unclean water in the area, but also our ability to get in and reach these people in the middle of a combat zone is extremely limited right now. 15
The public health crisis in Basra provides a window into the possible fate of Iraqi civilians in Nasiriyah (population 560,200), Najaf (585,600), Kerbala (572,300), Hilla (548,000), Amara (351,100), and Baghdad (5.8 million).16 Civilians in Baghdad are especially vulnerable given expectations of intense aerial bombardment, a tight blockade, and fierce urban combat aimed at toppling the Iraqi regime.17 On April 3, power was cut to 90% of Baghdad—the result of damage to the Al-Doura power station during the American capture of Saddam Airport.18
United Nations agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross have alerted the international community to the growing water crisis throughout southern and central Iraq.19 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has stated that “humanitarian assistance would have to be provided by the United States and its coalition partners in those areas under their control, consistent with their overall responsibility under international law.”20
Before the war, US and British leaders assured their publics that “liberating” Iraq would be a quick and clean military operation, relying on high-tech precision weapons to minimize civilian casualties.21 The Iraqi people, especially the long-suffering Shi’a majority in the South, were expected to welcome Anglo-American forces.22 This scenario has not materialized and the Pentagon has called for an additional 120,000 American soldiers to supplement 250,000 already in the Persian Gulf.23
It now appears likely that Anglo-American forces will continue blockading cities in southern and central Iraq in preparation for direct urban combat. If as a result electricity is disrupted for extended periods, Iraq’s entire structure of civilian life support—public health, water and sanitation, and food distribution—will collapse, with devastating consequences for the civilian population.
The Anglo-American military strategy would therefore impose disproportionate costs on civilian life and property in violation of the most fundamental principles of law and humanity. Political and military personnel on all sides of the conflict who issue or carry out illegal orders are subject to prosecution for war crimes.
In fulfillment of their lawful duties, the Center for Economic and Social Rights urges all warring parties—the US, UK, Australia, and Iraq—and all organs of the United Nations—the Security Council, General Assembly, and Secretariat—immediately to establish and respect:
A cease-fire to enable impartial humanitarian agencies, independent of any military forces, to restore and maintain life-sustaining services to Iraqi civilians.
Ongoing humanitarian corridors to enable aid agencies to ensure the survival of vulnerable civilian populations throughout the conflict.
Withdrawal of Anglo-American military forces to positions held before March 19, 2003, to allow the United Nations to fulfill its mandate of resolving the Iraq crisis in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
8 The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights declared that “The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity,” General Comment on the Right to Water, (November 2002). According to Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Sergio Vieira de Mello, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, “The right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water, and it must be enjoyed without discrimination,” from WHO, The Right to Water, (2003).
9 Bellamy, Carol, “UNICEF urges all parties to protect Iraqi children,” UNICEF Press Centre, (March 20, 2003).
10 Friend, T., “Dirty water may become Iraq’s biggest killer,” USA Today, (April 1, 2003); International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Daily Bulletin, (April 2, 2003).
11 US State Department Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Iraq Profile, (February 2003).
12 Tamara al-Rifai of the ICRC stated: “Because of the lack of water and because the sewage isn’t working properly, you could imagine what epidemics there could be in the south.” Cited in Mallet, V. & Burns, J., “Aid workers fear military unready for prolonged war,” Financial Times, (April 2, 2003).
13 Berry, D.B., “UN: Condition Critical in Basra – Water, electricity cut off to much of Iraq city; relief demanded,” Newsday (March 25, 2003); Richburg, K., “British troops push into Basra,” Washington Post, (April 2, 2003).
14 Geoffrey Keele, UNICEF spokesperson, cited in Friend, T., “Dirty water may become Iraq’s biggest killer,” USA Today, (April 1, 2003); Bhatia, Shyam, “100,000 children at risk in Basra,” Rediff.com, (March 31, 2003).
15 Geoffrey Keele interviewed in Cusack, Agnes, “Iraqi children at risk from disease and trauma,” ABC, (April 1, 2003).
16 2003 estimated population statistics from DeLorme Gazetteer.
17 Tyler, P., “US Forces at Edge of Blacked-Out Baghdad,” New York Times (April 4, 2003).
18 Shadid, A., “Blackout Increases Foreboding, Darkness Still City Bracing for Chaos,” Washington Post, (April 4, 2003). A British journalist reports that “there was speculation that coalition forces used a ‘blackout bomb’… designed to short-circuit power station grid connections without the need for high explosives,” see Oliver, M., “Airport ‘under US control’”, The Guardian (April 4, 2003).
19 Waddington, R., “Red Cross works on Basra water plant, aid groups wait,” Relief Web – Reuters (March 25, 2003); “UN doing whatever it can to bring aid to the Iraqi people,” United Nations Daily News Digest, (March 24, 2003).
20 Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the Secretary-General's meeting with Dr. Condoleeza Rice, Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Affairs, UN News Wire. New York (March 25, 2003); “Annan and Condoleeza Rice hold talks on Iraq and the humanitarian situation,” United Nations Daily News Digest (March 25, 2003).
21 McGeary, Johanna, “3 Flawed Assumptions,” TIME, (March 30, 2003).
22 Grant, R., “An air war like no other,” Air Force Magazine online, (November 2002).
23 Full Text of News Conference at the Pentagon, New York Times, (April 1, 2003).