With this in mind, ACT member Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), along with other ACT members Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), DanChurchAid (DCA), International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and Diakonie Austria—all implementing programs and projects in the country—have been focussing on programs assisting those most vulnerable.

NCA's water and sanitation projects in cooperation with DCA continue in Basra, as does NCA's support of the Baghdad Youth House, where some 200 children and young people come together on a daily basis to partake in activities that span anything from learning to bake, sew and paint, to playing football and learning martial arts. Another project receiving support is the Art School for Children in Baghdad. Other water and sanitation projects, either ongoing or about to start, include those in the Al Anbar governorate and in Baghdad.

Olso-based Bjorg Mide of NCA's International Program department, currently on a field visit to the country, said that one of the main priorities of ACT's response in Iraq is to get clean drinking water to people. In Basra, this has taken the form of a big project that started with an interim tankering water distribution program, to installing water purification units that will give the most vulnerable communities access to clean drinking water. Mide quotes a doctor from the Al Tanumma in the Basra area as saying that large parts of the population in the area are supplied with drinking water through NCA 's water distribution program, but that there are still people living far away from delivery points who continue to suffer from health problems as a result of dirty water. A first step in the water purification program includes freeing the water of harmful bacteria. Then, the water needs to be desalinated. The brackish water with its high saline content can be extremely harmful, as it places a huge burden on people's kidneys. Once this program is fully operational, with all the planned water purification plants in place, pure drinking water will be delivered to 20,000 people. Other work includes programs in the marsh area villages of All Hallah and Hamayun, where people had been drinking the highly polluted river water until the installation of two purification units provided by NCA with the support of the ACT alliance. "Our children's health is considerably improved," residents of the area told Mide, who also quoted them as saying that they now want a pipeline that can take the water from the river to the villages a couple of kilometers away. "If NCA can provide the pipes, the men in the villages will do the work themselves."

Edward Esho of MECC said that given the recent spate of bombings and random attacks, he, as an Iraqi has "a bad picture in my eyes of my country. We are worried about the situation and are afraid, but somebody needs to help take care of the people (who are suffering)."

In spite of the daily fear of falling victim to a random or even targeted attack, MECC staff, as with the other operational ACT members have carried on their work in various ways. MECC continues rehabilitation work on vital health care centers in Mosul and is planning to start a project laying water pipes in the Najaf area in a week's time. Ongoing too is the assistance being given to 6,500 families through the distribution of relief items.

On the issue of security NCA's Bjorg Mide said it is of great concern, but that NCA staff in Iraq, whether local or expatriate, are taking every precaution to ensure their safety while assessing the situation on a daily basis. "But, we continue with our work at the moment," she said.

DCA, which earlier this year discontinued its de-mining operation in the Basra region after one of their vehicles was attacked, continues with two water and sanitation projects—a quick response repair program and other water and sanitation projects with NCA. DCA's Lennart Skov Hansen said that these projects had not been affected by the insecurity in the region. "They are low-visibility programs, mainly run by local staff."

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), working through local churches as well as a number of community-based organizations (primarily mosques and community faith leaders), also continues to assist those most vulnerable. Given that Iraqi government allowances are still only averaging about US$35 a month, and that the cost of a typical food basket amounts to about US$60 a month, many people are still in great need. IOCC therefore continues to implement programs aimed at delivering food and hygiene items to people in Baghdad and Mosul that IOCC and its local partners have identified as being most vulnerable.

Work on the Al Ghadia Primary School in the Al Ghadia district and a nursery school in the Al Hilla district by ACT member Diakonie Austria (DA) also continues. DA's general secretary, Michael Bubik says that his office is in daily contact with the expatriate staff person supervising the building of the school. The school was completely demolished ten days ago, and is now being built from the basement up. Work is expected to be completed by the fall, when the 480 school students and 120 nursery school children, who are currently being taught in a temporary building, will occupy the new school buildings.

Other ACT members, although not operational in the country, carry on work through local NGOs, while many ACT members around the world, by funding the ACT Appeals, make a difference in the lives of people left vulnerable not only in the aftermath of the war, but by years of sanctions, economic instability and government repression.