He further underlined that the assessment of the humanitarian consequences should be based on reliable data, free from political considerations. One of the main humanitarian consequences of the war in Iraq is clearly the large displacement of people which is affecting the whole region and its capacity to recover.

Concerning the sectarian division, Prince Hassan pointed to the influence from outside forces, which has aggravated the situation. According to him, it is not linked to religion, but rather to politics.

When discussing the possible ways out of the conflict, he mentioned the need for the creation of a regional organization, similar to the OSCE, the development of a Citizen’s Charter and economic development. He warned from a division of Iraq and stressed the importance of accepting shared responsibility, rather than confrontation in Iraq. This can only be achieved through a bottom up approach. To help Iraq recover, the Prince repeated his call for the development of an international Zakat fund.

The interview was conducted on 2 March 2008 by Toni Pfanner, editor-in-chief of the International Review of the Red Cross, and Paul Castella, head of the ICRC delegation in Amman, Jordan.