Oil-for-food comments were based on anti-UN agenda
The most recent and final report of the Volcker committee focused on private companies that had contracts under the programme.
The oil-for-food programme was established in 1996 to mitigate against the humanitarian impact of UN sanctions imposed on the Saddam Hussein regime following the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and continued up to May 2003.
In the mid 1990s it was clear that the sanctions had grave consequences for the civilian population and the programme was established as a way of focusing the sanctions on the regime, and not the people. Under the programme, Saddam’s regime was permitted to sell oil on world markets and the revenues were placed under the UN security council’s control. Almost 60% of the revenues were used to assist people in the south/centre of the country, where the bulk of the population lived, and it was the responsibility of the government of Iraq to design and implement the humanitarian programmes funded with this money.
Thirteen per cent of the money was to be used to help people in the north of the country, who were mainly Kurdish, and it was the responsibility of the UN agencies, UNICEF, WHO, and others, to design and implement programmes with this money.
Humanitarian conditions were considerably better in the north at all times during the period, due to the large number of aid agencies present, and the revenues from illegal oil sales. The UN’s administrative and operational costs accounted for 2.2% of the money and the balance was used to pay war reparations and the weapons inspectorate. UNICEF has supported programmes for children and women in Iraq since the 1960s from our own money. After the end of the first Gulf War in 1991, UNICEF shifted the focus of our programming to alleviate the effects of the sanctions on ordinary Iraqis, this again from our own resources.
Throughout the oil-for-food programme we had our own programme in Iraq, as well as working on oil-for-food.
UNICEF consistently provided humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people and highlighted the increased mortality rates for women and children in the region. Our work in this area was consistently quoted during the period as one of the few agencies working on the ground, providing an independent assessment of the humanitarian situation there.
The oil-for-food programme was particularly challenging. It was in ‘emergency’ mode for seven years and, because of the security council design, had to be divided up into six-month separate emergencies, making management very challenging.
We welcome the Irish Government’s decision to pledge €10m to the UN central emergency response fund.
UNICEF has a long track record of efficiency and results; this was certainly the case in Iraq. The UN and its member agencies can only do the job if we have the funding.
In recent times, we have been criticised for our inadequate response to some emergencies despite the fact that we have not received adequate funding to do the job.
Maura Quinn
Executive Director
UNICEF Ireland
25-26 Great Strand Street
Dublin 1
