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War killed 55,000 Iraqi civilians

By Shaista Aziz

Tuesday 11 November 2003


The invasion, war and occupation of Iraq has cost up to 55,000
civilian lives, according to a shocking new report published by a
UK-based charity.

Now the medical charity is lobbying the American and British
governments to focus urgently on the healthcare needs of the Iraqi
population, following the invasion of the country.

Medact's report, highlighting the devastating impact of war on the
Iraqi population, reveals that between 22,000 and 55,000 Iraqi
civilians died during the bombing of the country.

The report titled, Continuing Collateral Damage: the Health and
Environmental costs of War on Iraq, says the American and British
occupiers are obliged under international law to ensure the
healthcare needs of the population are met.


Findings

One of the co-authors of the report, Dr Sabya Faruq, told
Aljazeera.net that the situation across Iraq was desperate.

''There has been a reported increase in maternal mortality rates,
acute malnutrition has almost doubled from 4% to 8% in the last year
and there has been an increase in water-borne disease and
vaccine-preventable diseases.''

Iraq has a population of 25 million people, half of whom are under
the age of 18. Children are particularly vulnerable in post-war
Iraq, with one in four not receiving immunisation against measles
since Saddam Hussein was removed from power.

The charity says that mines and unexploded bombs are continuing to
kill and maim. The effects of chemicals, such as depleted uranium
used by invading forces, on civilians could take decades to
manifest.

Pre-Conflict

Dr Faruq has told Aljazeera.net that before the recent invasion of
Iraq, the country had a poor record on healthcare, but the situation
now is at breaking point.

'Iraq was never a third world country, it had a fairly developed
healthcare system that was able to deliver to the population'

Dr Sabya Faruq, Medact

In 1990, the UN development index, which ranks countries in terms of
provisions of healthcare, education and life expectancy rates,
placed Iraq 50th out of 130 countries. By 2003 and before the recent
invasion of the country, Iraq had dropped to 126th out of 174
countries.

''Iraq was never a third world country, it had a fairly developed
infrastructure and healthcare system that was able to deliver to the
population. Now, the escalating violence in post-war Iraq is
creating huge problems.

''The effects of the war will impact on the healthcare of future
generations and, with the way things stand, the situation will get
worse.''

Support

Medact is also calling for better support for Iraqi doctors and
healthcare workers who are working under increasingly difficult
conditions ''This report hasn't even touched on the trauma that
doctors in Iraq have been and are suffering. They are working on the
frontline and are subjected to violence themselves on an almost
daily basis.''

Dr Faruq says that it is important for doctors and development
workers to speak up about what is really happening in Iraq.

''Healthcare workers have a duty to speak out and let the outside
world know about what's happening in Iraq. We have to speak up to
make sure that civilians aren't suffering any more than they already
are.''


The charity is calling on the UN to send peacekeepers to Iraq so
that humanitarian and reconstruction work can begin.


http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3FF27CFC-764F-441B-A0D6-FB5B3BAF0704.htm

brooks gregory

Americans have killed over 30 million unborn that if left alone would have
become beautiful children.