Sanctions cause a ten times increase in Iraqi children death

The Iraqi Ministry of Health has asserted that some 33,000 Iraqi children under the age of five died during the first half of 1998 as a result of the sanctions imposed on Iraq.

Statistics gathered by the ministry said that 32,993 children under five died during the first half of the current year after being affected by malnutrition, inflammation disease and diarrhea. The statistics added that another 45,764 persons, mostly elderly, died as a result of diabetes, heart attacks, blood pressure, kidney and liver diseases.

The average monthly mortality rate of children under five has increased to 5,465 from 593 in the same period in 1989 before the sanctions were imposed.

The monthly mortality rate of the elderly over 50 increased to 7,627 from 1,685 in the same period of 1989.