March 19 2003 marked the beginning of the Second Gulf War in Iraq, but the people of Iraq had in fact been suffering the effects of conflict and economic sanctions since the nineteen eighties.

Conflict affects people in every aspect of their lives. Not only do the Iraqi people live in fear of physical violence and attack, but they suffer from hunger, disease and unemployment and have witnessed the almost total disintegration of services such as healthcare and education.

The latest figures estimate that around 2.77 million Iraqis are displaced within Iraq and a further 2 million are displaced overseas.