Assessing Mortality in Conflicts: A Comparison of Surveys from Iraq, Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo

In 2004, the Lancet published results from a survey that estimated the death toll attributable to the conflict in Iraq until then at almost 100,000. Since that moment, the topic has been subject of a large debate among scientists. Besides this publication, four other surveys conducted in Iraq reported data on mortality due to the conflict. Although each one of these studies had its own specific objectives and methods, some clear patterns common to each of them can be identified. These common characteristics are quite distinct from those of surveys in other conflict settings such as the Sudanese region of Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This paper looks into the specificities of mortality surveys in Iraq, compares them with surveys conducted in other conflict settings and suggests alternatives in order to assess mortality in Iraq.