Lynn C. Woolsey: “the sound of gunshots could be heard throughout Iraq last week. Unlike most days, however, it was not the sound of civil…”

“the sound of gunshots could be heard throughout Iraq last week. Unlike most days, however, it was not the sound of civil war. Instead, it was the sounds of celebration as Iraq won a pivotal soccer match over their Saudi rivals. The return to violence that is the new Iraqi way of life did not take long, however. Most Iraqi families are living in unimaginable circumstances. Nearly one-third of the children are malnourished, and some 15 percent of Iraqis regularly cannot afford to eat. That's according to a recent Oxfam report. The high for Baghdad today was forecast at 121 degrees. Electricity is available for about 2 hours a day. Children are out of school, and regular employment is becoming harder and harder to come by. In these conditions, it is hard to sustain hope. For a country so rich in resources, it is disturbing to hear the stories of families trapped in slums begging for clean drinking water. Mothers scourge to find books and paper for school lessons. It is no wonder. Over 4 million Iraqis have been displaced from their homes and have sought refuge in neighboring provinces or nations. The United Nations estimates that 50,000 Iraqis leave their homes and become refugees every single month. That is the equivalent of one Biloxi or one Idaho Falls every month. It hits home even more when we think of a population the size of San Rafael or Petaluma, both in my congressional district. This is each month, Mr. Speaker; and the situation isn't getting any better.”