Speech #1020025587

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to bring to your attention legislation that I introduced last week to provide immediate humanitarian aid to the suffering Kurdish refugees and displaced persons in Iraqthe Emergency Assistance for Iraqi Refugees Act. This measure calls upon the United States and the international community to step up their humanitarian aid efforts to the suffering Kurdish refugees and displaced persons in Iraq. and condemns the ruthless slaughter of the Iraqi people by Saddam Hussein. Thousands of Iraqi men. women. and children have diedand continue to die everydayfrom exposure due to freezing temperatures. hunger. and diseases associated with malnutrition. As human beings. we cannot just stand by and watch it happen. The Emergency Assistance for Iraqi Refugees Act affirms Congress support for humanItarian. refugee assistance and emergency relief. It also supports the United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 which condemns the repression on Iraqi civilians and demands that such repression end. This resolution Insists that the Iraqi govemment allow immediate access by international humanitarian organizations to those In need of assistance and cooperate with the Secretary General to address urgently the critical needs of the refugees. The full text of the bill follows: H. Con. Res. 131 Whereas Congress condemns the ruthless slaughter and heinous human rights abuses against the Iraqi people. particularly the Kurdish minorities in the north and Shiites in the south. by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his troops. Whereas the United Nations Security Council on April 5. 1991. adopted Resolution 688 which condemns the repression of Iraqi civilians and states that this repression of civilians threatens international peace and security in the region. demands that the Iraqi Government immediately end its repression of civilians. insists that Iraq allow immediate access by international humanitarian organizations to those in need of assistance. and demands that Iraq cooperate with the Secretary General to address urgently the critical needs of the refugees. Whereas the President of the United States has warned the Iraqi government against any attacks on refugees and refugee assistance operations* Whereas hundreds of thousands of refugees are fleeing their homes in terror in the aftermath of the civil war in Iraq and are desperately seeking safe haven and sanctuary and an estimated 1.7 million people have been displaced in Iraq or have been forced to seek refuge in neighboring countries. Whereas hundreds of men. women. and children have died from exposure due to freezing temperatures. hunger. and diseases associated with malnutrition. Whereas countries neighboring Iraq. such as Turkey and Iran. have established temporary camps within their borders for the refugees that have fled northern and southern Iraq. and thousands more are amassed at the 206mile frontier border between Iraq and Turkey. and others are in southern Iraq in the area previously occupied by coalition forces and now occupied by the United Nations peacekeeping force. the United Nations IraqKuwaiti Observation Mission