Many internally displaced persons (IDPs) in camps in Iraq are facing shortages of water, especially clean drinking water, and the situation is being exploited by unscrupulous militants, local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) say. Some displaced families have said militants have been delivering clean water to their camps by truck and demanding money, goods or “favours” in return. Fatah Ahmed, a spokesman for the Iraq Aid Association (IAA), said they had informed the local authorities of such cases but had not received a response.

Around eight million Iraqis are in urgent need of water and sanitation, 70 percent of Iraqis do not have adequate water supplies - up from 50 percent in 2003, says a joint report released on 30 July by UK-based charity Oxfam and the NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq.

Source: IRIN, 7 Aug 2007

Tags: emergencies