Some 1.5 million Iraqis are the victims of the sanctions
Iraq, Politics, 7/12/2001

The sufferings of the Iraqi people has been continuously increasing as a result of the sanctions imposed on it since 11 years.

Iraq's permanent representative to the UN Muhammad al-Douri explained in a message he addressed to the UN secretary general Kofi Anna and declared it on Wednesday that the sanctions have adversely affected the health conditions of the Iraqis, children, elderly or women and resulted in the death of 1.52 million since it was imposed in August 1990, until May this year.

Al-Douri stressed that the shortage in medicines, vaccines and medical needs resulted in the death of 622,887 children under five years old as a result of being affected by diarrhea and breathing diseases and malnutrition and also in the death of 897,530 persons above five year old and elderly because of diseases such as heart attacks, blood pressures and diabetics.

He indicated the shortage in medical equipment in the Iraqi hospitals resulted to the decrease in number of surgery operations from 100% before the siege until 45% at the meantime.

Al-Douri stressed that Iraq only received 50.87 % of the medicines and vaccines contracted upon in the course of the UN oil-for-food program, noting that the reason behind that is the deliberate obstruction carried out by the representatives of the US and Britain at the UN sanctions committee.

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