CIVIC: Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict

Latest news: Iraq

Field Blog: CIVIC from the Field: Iraq

The Conflict

On December 15th, 2011, the US war in Iraq was officially declared over.  Since the war began in 2003, Iraqi civilians have borne the brunt of the conflict, suffering death, injury, and property damage.  Civilian casualty figures vary widely. One study by Iraq Body Count estimates over 100,000 Iraqis killed as a direct result of violence since 2003.

Iraqi civilians face a long road to recovery, having spent years victimized by violence, largely due to sectarian attacks and insurgency against the coalition forces and government.  Insurgents have used mortars, missiles, suicide attacks, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), roadside bombs, car bombs, small arms fire, and RPGs (rocket propelled grenades), decimating entire communities.

In early 2011, more than 1.5 million Iraqis were refugees, most in the neighboring countries of Jordan and Syria. As of October 2011, between 2 and 2.75 million Iraqis were internally displaced according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. Some refugees are returning, but the vast majority cannot go back to their homes, often due to lack of security and employment prospects.

CIVIC's Work

CIVIC helped create the first-ever US-funded program for the victims of the conflict, the Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund. By providing health care, livelihood assistance, and rebuilding homes, this fund helps Iraqi civilians and their families begin to rebuild their lives. CIVIC held trainings and assessment sessions with the Marla Fund staff in Iraq and Jordan resulting in recommendations delivered to USAID and Congress, many of which were later implemented on the ground. CIVIC continues to press the U.S. military to provide just and equitable compensation to Iraqi war victims to help them recover from violence. CIVIC trains Iraq-bound troops in addressing civilian harm and is providing key recommendations to policymakers and the military on how to improve the current compensation system.

CIVIC continues to work for Iraqi civilians who have not yet received the help they deserve—a particularly urgent fear, given the gradual U.S. military withdrawal. CIVIC is mapping the system of care that currently exists and working to create a better, more cohesive system of assistance to be managed by Iraqis. This includes international efforts like the above mentioned Marla Fund as well as Iraqi Government efforts like widows and pension programs. The goal is to strengthen the safety net for Iraqis through program cooperation and increased capacity of local organizations to care for war victims.

CIVIC also aided the award winning creators of the play, The Exonerated, Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, in interviewing displaced Iraqis. The writers crafted those conversations into a critically acclaimed theatrical performance called Aftermath, which received stellar reviews from the New York Times, Variety, and the Daily News.CIVIC looks forward to bringing Aftermath to Washington, DC in 2010. With Iraqi war victims largely forgotten, U.S. and Coalition policymakers have a duty to fund war victims’ programs, reconstruction and rebuilding, and efforts that build human capacity in Iraq to heal communities.

Casualty Statistics

- From 2003 through December 19, 2011: between 104,122 and 113,770 civilian casualties (Iraq Body Count)
- As of October 5, 2011: between 2,040,000 and 2,750,000 IDPs (IDMC)
- As of January 20011: estimated 1,683,579 Iraqi refugees (UNHCR)

Publications

Backgrounder: The Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund

Backgrounder: The Human Cost of War, Iraq: Counting the Casualties

Compensating Civilian Casualties: "I am sorry for your loss and I wish you well in a free Iraq", Report by Jonathan Tracy, Prepared for the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy and the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict, published November 2008

White Paper: Adding Insult to Injury: US Military Claims System for Civilians, published May 2007

CIVIC on Iraq

Huffington Post: Five Years After Marla Ruzicka's Death, Are Iraqis Being Cared For?,April 14, 2010

To hear what civilians are saying in Iraq, visit A Voice for Survivors: Hussein's Story Rakan's War The Convoy

For policy and program inquiries:
Marla Keenan
+1 202 558 0342 
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For press inquiries:
Liz Lucas
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