| The seven months
of brutal Iraqi occupation of Kuwait from August 2, 1990 to
February 26, 1991 affected each and every aspect of Kuwaiti
life. Human, social, economic and environmental losses that
Kuwait suffered were colossal.
Loss of Life
The Iraqi invasion caused widespread damage across Kuwait.
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Kuwaitis paid the highest human price relative
to their population.
An estimated number of 439 foreign nationals, 118 Kuwaiti
soldiers and 113 Kuwaiti civilians were killed. Kuwait’s
human loss was proportionately equivalent to about 400,000
Americans or 100,000 British.
The widespread landmines, estimated to be 2 million (92.4
mines per square kilometre or 1.1 mine per Kuwaiti), left
many more dead and physically disabled.
Social and Psychological Damage
The use of coercion by Iraqis left a permanent
scar on the Kuwaiti people. All kinds of crime and torture
were perpetrated by the aggressors against civilians ---
women, men, children and the elderly.
A list of methods used by the Iraqis, drawn
by the Amnesty International, reveals the extent of torture
inflicted on innocent Kuwaitis. These methods and their
intentions were devilish. The methods included fracturing
limbs and ribs, administration of electric shocks, burning
naked body parts, pouring acid into the eyes eventually
leading to blindness, subjecting victims to mock trials,
etc. The Iraqis denied medical care to the Kuwaitis unless
they changed their nationality to Iraq, a clear case of
human rights violation.
Public places such as hospitals, schools,
parks, museums etc. were used by the Iraqis as detention
and torture centres. On their retreat, Iraqis took away
hundreds of innocent civilians as hostages and subjected
them to torture in Iraqi jails. Many of such prisoners of
war are yet untraceable.
Memories of such incidents continue to haunt
Kuwaitis till date. Kuwaitis continue to suffer from emotional
disorders such as depression, sleeplessness, anxiety, nightmares,
absentmindedness, etc. Recalling the days of horror is a
traumatic experience for them and Kuwaitis are doing their
best to put the trauma behind them.
Destruction of Health Care Facilities
Once the centre of excellence, the health
care sector was worst hit. The Iraqis destroyed primary
health centres, super-speciality hospitals, in fact the
total health care infrastructure. Looting, rioting and lack
of health staff caused a total collapse of the system. The
impact on the public health was most severe, as many diseases
could not be controlled. Statistics reveal the high prevalence
of infant mortality, cases of miscarriages, underweight
babies, abnormal foetus, heart diseases etc.
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Economic
Damage
Oil is the lifeline of Kuwait’s
economy, constituting about 90 per cent of its exports.
The widespread destruction, especially the burning oil wells,
was the primary reason for the paralysis of the Kuwaiti
economy. The gross national product dropped more than 70
per cent from August 1990 to February 1991.
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Twenty-five of the 26 oil-gathering centres suffered massive
damage. The pipeline network was nearly crippled. The refinery
at Mina Abdullah terminal suffered heavily. The main control room
was completely wrecked. Six of the 81 gas stations were completely
destroyed. The fertiliser plant was severely affected. Oil wells
and other Kuwaiti industrial installations, which formed the backbone
of the Kuwaiti economy, were particularly targeted to inflict
maximum possible damage.
The Iraqi occupation also crippled Kuwait’s banking sector.
During the occupation, the banks and their funds were at the mercy
of the Iraqi forces. Studies reveal that banking activities, financial
services and insurance dropped by 23 per cent after the liberation
compared with pre-occupation.
The invasion also wreaked havoc on the real estate, civic amenities,
communications, and transportation sectors. Kuwait Airways Corporation
too suffered huge losses as the Iraqi invaders looted 15 of their
23 aircraft - an estimated loss of $ 1.2 billion. The already
limited farming business also suffered heavily and irrigation
works too were badly hit. Most fishermen lost their boats resulting
in huge losses, fishing being one of the major business activities.
Most of the colleges of Kuwaiti University were burnt. Serious
damage was also inflicted on the Kuwaiti Institute for Scientific
Research (KISR). During the invasion, the Iraqis caused widespread
damage to the state-of-the-art facilities of the Ministry of Information
--- damaging studios, equipment, printing press, TV towers, etc.
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