1.5 million Iraqi citizens have died due to sanctions

Baghdad said that more than 1.5 million Iraqi citizens have died due to the sanctions imposed on Iraq since 1990.

Iraqi Minister of Health Omid Medhat Mubarak said in statements yesterday that the average number of children under the age of 5 dying each month in Iraq reached 6,000 in comparison to 546 before the sanctions, while the monthly average for children who are above 5 years old is 8,600 after being 1,600 before the siege.

He accused the sanctions committee of obstructing many Iraqi contracts for importing medicines and medical equipment regarding chronic and heart diseases and some medical machines, among which are machines for laser treatment that were halted under the pretext that these machines have military uses.

The Iraqi minister's declarations came hours before the Security Council's meeting yesterday to discuss its position toward disarming Iraqi weapons and sanctions.