Wednesday, 28 July 2004

Salvation Army Continues Iraq Mission

The Salvation Army’s community development programme in Iraq continues to help Iraqi’s restore their lives to normality.

A team of Salvation Army workers, including two New Zealanders, is overseeing work centred around the south-eastern town of Al Amarah, including an eight-month programme to resettle Iraqi refugees. The Salvation Army is overseeing US$1.1 million of United Nations funding to assist about 10,000 families.

New Zealander Captain Bruce Coffey, who leads The Salvation Army relief team, says that the projects being undertaken are making a big difference in the lives of local people. He says that The Salvation Army is working closely with local people, many of whom pitched in recently to help build a fired-brick school in their community.

Other recent projects include the construction of village workshops and cattle dips, the provision of materials for traditional housing, improving the water supply, and equipping people with vocational skills in mechanics and animal husbandry.

‘The provision of a regular supply of potable (drinkable) water is a very important component of what we are doing,’ says Captain Coffey. ‘It is one of the first activities we undertake in an area, and includes filtering the water and piping it throughout the village concerned.’

Captain Coffey says that the security situation in southern Iraq appears to be improving since the hand over of administrative authority to the Iraqi Provisional Government. Temperatures continue to hit the mid-40s most days, sometimes soaring to over 50 degrees Celsius.

ENDS

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