Children’s Rights

Defending The Marsh Arabs

As the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Iraq , Emma has been leading the campaign to draw attention to the plight of the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq .

The Marsh Arabs have lived in the Mesopotamian Marshlands for over five thousand years, carving out a unique way of life. However from the mid-1980s until its fall, Saddam Hussein’s regime systematically targeted the Marsh Arabs and their habitat, driving them to the verge of extinction. From a population of over 400,000 just thirty years ago, just 80,000 remain today.

Emma called for Saddam Hussein to be tried for genocide, and she is fighting to rebuild the Marsh Arabs’ lives and habitats which he sought to destroy. Emma’s article on the case for a charge of genocide against Saddam Hussein can be found here

As well as her work in the European Parliament, Emma established the AMAR International Charitable Foundation to provide help for the Marsh Arabs in Iraq . Go to the AMAR International Charitable Foundation to find out more about the Marsh Arabs ancient way of life.