US congressman calls for lifting sanctions from Iraq

Member of the US Congress Tony Hall stressed on Monday that the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq have resulted in creating a humanitarian crisis. He called on the UN to alleviate these sanctions.

AP stated that Hall who returned back to the US on Saturday following a one-week visit to Iraq expressed to the Dayton "Daily News," in Ohio his surprise about the humanitarian conditions in Iraq resulting from imposing the sanctions.

Hall stated that the sanctions made it very difficult to have the food, medicine and relief experts enter Iraq, adding that statistics show an increase in the malnutrition rate among children to 30%.

He added that it is very urgent and necessary to ensure more freedom for the access of food and medicines into Baghdad and to permit countries that are willing to give aid to do so.