Death toll rises to 15,336 in January

Statistics by Iraqi Health Ministry stated that about 15, 336 persons died in Iraq during January, 2002 due to their infliction of different kinds of diseases thanks to the dearth of food and medicine and other basic needs, INA reported.

"The statistics reported by life and health section at Health Ministry made it clear that 7007 Iraqi children under 5 years died due to their infliction with respiratory diseases, diarrhea, intestine inflammation and malnutrition. About 8329 persons above 5 and elderly died because of hypertension , diabetes, kidney , lever, malignant tumors diseases" INA said.

The number of peoples died since the imposition of UN sanctions on Iraq in August 1990 up to the end of the last year is 1,629,639 persons, of them 674,780 children under 5 and 954,859 persons above 5.

Statistics also refereed to the rising rate of underweight newborns less than 2,5 KG to %25,67 after it was % 4,5 before the imposition of sanctions on Iraq in 1991, The INA report said.