Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Kirk for her important question. There is no doubt that any civilian death is one too many. We all agree with that. There are no authoritative estimates of the total number of Iraqi civilian casualties, due in part, of course, to the complex nature of the violence in Iraq. Estimates of civilian casualties and the methodology behind them vary very widely. For example, UK website Iraq Body Count estimates that, as at 6 September, between 71,302 and 77,852 civilians have been killed since March 2003. The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq estimates that some 34,452 were killed in 2006. I repeat that any civilian death is certainly one too many. The multinational force, in cooperation with the Iraqi security forces, has strenuously sought to avoid civilian casualties, in accordance with international humanitarian law. In stark contrast, terrorists and insurgents have set out to kill and maim civilians and those in the Iraqi security forces. The multinational force in Iraq will continue to work with Iraqi security forces to prevent such attacks and apprehend their perpetrators.

Senator Kirk has also asked what we are doing to assist Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons. We are very concerned about the humanitarian situation facing many of the Iraqis—over two million residing in neighbouring countries, my briefing note says, and over two million internally displaced. Many of these were displaced under the Saddam Hussein regime due to war, human rights abuses and the deliberate expulsion of citizens from their homes. Australia has provided over $75 million in humanitarian assistance, including for Iraqi refuges and IDPs, since 2003. On 14 February 2007, Mr Downer announced $6 million to assist Iraqi refugees, $3 million to the United Nations HCR and $3 million to the IOM.

The Australian delegation was represented at the Australian UNHCR conference on Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons and was led by the ambassador and the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva. It included officials from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and AusAID, so the personnel making up the representation were very well placed to have Australia’s input and to record Australia’s concern about this most important matter.