Over the past two days the weather has become warmer at Liberty and the temperature has risen extraordinarily to 51 degrees Celsius in shadow. The intensity of heat has caused constant breakdown of the generators in different sections of Liberty. Due to constant power cuts, the residents do not have continuous access to water and sanitary facilities.
Due to dilapidated state of power generators, their engine temperature rises. Thus, either they have to be shut down or the residents have to turn off part of their electric equipments. On Friday, around midnight in Section 5, up to 30% of trailers had to turn off their air-conditioners in order to keep the generator running. For the same reason, Section 3 also was without electricity for several hours yesterday. Living in trailers without air conditioners at 50 degrees Celsius could be lethal.
On the other hand, in order to keep these worn out generators running, a considerable amount of water that is brought to camp daily, is splashed on the generators to cool them down. Each section needs a backup power generator with the power of over one megawatt, so coupled with the current generators, they would be able to function around the clock. However in an inhumane act, the Government of Iraq prevents residents from transferring their 6, one and a half megawatt power generators from Ashraf to Liberty.
In the first day of Ramadan, in order to evade the burning sun, drivers of water tankers resorted to bringing water to the camp from 8 pm to 8 am of the next day. However, because of low pressure or cut off of water between 2:30 am to 4 am, they could not bring adequate water to the camp. A water tanker which would normally take 10 to 15 minutes to fill up, had to spend nearly one hour for filling up.
In another development , the Suppressive Committee of the Prime Minister’s Office still refuses to allow residents to bring in vegetable seeds to the camp. Sacks of seeds are being held up by plainclothes agents affiliated with Sadeq at camp’s entry checkpoint since July 19. Also yesterday, a pickup truck containing equipment for plumbing work and setting up dish washing facilities was not permitted to enter the Camp. Imposing these restrictions and harassing the contractors would result that many contractors refrain from working for the residents. On June 20, the same plainclothes agents intimidated and turned back one of the contractors who had gone to Liberty to work on a porch plan. As a result, the contractor did not agree to return to Liberty.
In another repressive measure, the Government of Iraq is preventing the transfer of forklifts belonging to the residents from Ashraf to Liberty. In return it claims that it would provide forklifts with Iraqi drivers whenever the residents would need them. Since Thursday, July 19, the residents have been requesting forklifts to move cargos that have arrived from Ashraf, but to this day, they have received no reply for their requests. In the absence of forklifts, the residents are compelled to carry these heavy loads on their hands and shoulders.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
July 22, 2012