Establishing water and sanitation programmes in conflict situations: the case of Iraq during the Gulf War

In armed conflicts, health and technical assessments made before initiating emergency water and sanitation programmes are hardly ever complete and accurate. Obstacles and constraints inherent in the initial assessment phase have an inevitable impact on the selection and ranking of priorities. The emergency phase of a programme calls for short-term objectives: the first activities are already under way as problem identification proceeds. Frequently updated assessments are an integral component of ongoing programmes, so as to ensure continuous readjustment of short-, medium- and long-term objectives and an appropriate response to needs. In this article, as an example, we describe the various stages in assessing water and sanitation problems, first in Baghdad and then in southern and northern Iraq, between February and May 1991. Our aim is to explain the background that led to the implementation of the programme in the Iraqi capital and the provinces.