The letter below was sent to the Prime Minister David Cameron in response to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq. An abridged version was published in the London Times today. A letter from 67 doctors in the UK with connections with Iraq to the British Prime Minister Mr David Cameron, urging effective and urgent action regarding the evolving major humanitarian crisis in Iraq To The Rt Hon David Cameron, MP, The Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, London , August 12th 2014 Dear Prime Minister We are doctors and other healthcare professionals who work in British healthcare organisations and medical schools and have connections with Iraq or friendship with its people. We are writing to express our grave concerns about the major and deteriorating humanitarian crisis which has developed in areas of Iraq. We urge the British government to take urgent, coordinated and effective actions with its allies and friends in the region and globally to avert a deeper catastrophe in the region. We are all witness to a phenomenon not far from a barbaric, medieval and multi-faceted genocide. Since June 2014, increasing swathes of Iraq have fallen under the control of a powerful, organised and extremely brutal gangster-like entity which calls itself the Islamic State (IS), previously ISIS. Their control has resulted in displacements and atrocities on massive scales. Particularly affected are people from minorities including Christians, Shabak, Yazidis, who are most vulnerable. However, the atrocities have also affected the Shia, Sunnis and Kurds in the areas under the control of IS. The effects include: summary executions/beheadings, starvation, dehydration displacement, rape, and threats of female genital mutilation. Many of the affected people are children, women, elderly and sick persons. Healthcare and supportive services are now nonexistent. In addition, lack of clean water (and some cases no water at all), food, medicines, vaccines, electricity and exposure to the elements, (with only the sky for cover) have caused death, disease and misery. While the food drops and other measures of recent days provide a lifeline, albeit temporary, for some of those most desperately affected provided they are lucky enough to access it. The actions of the British government, the US, the EU, NATO and the permanent members of the Security Council are feeble in comparison to the suffering already seen, and the suffering to come if IS remains in control of these areas. At such times, silence is not an option for us and inaction by you and others in positions of authority and influence is an act of avoidable negligence. The moral and humanitarian case to support the helpless people of Iraq and to take them out of their misery is clear. The United Kingdom, the United States and others have had major involvement with Iraq and cannot walk away or turn a blind eye from all this now. We know that the British representatives in the region would have put you in the picture, but we are happy to use our medical connections to provide specific evidence and details. Action is required to rid the region from IS and to protect the displaced or under threat people of Iraq. We look forward to receiving your reply, but more importantly to seeing effective actions by the British government, its allies and friends to respond to this disaster and alleviate the suffering of these people, over both the short and long term. Please act and use your influence. Yours sincerely Dr Ali Kubba FRCOG FFSRH Consultant Community Gynaecologist, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London On Behalf of 67doctors who signed the letter (attached list)
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 06:45:29 +0000
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