THE FIRE THIS TIME - DISEASE AND MALNUTRITION

"Our quarrel was not with you, the people of Iraq, but rather with your leadership, and especially with Saddam Hussein."
- George Bush, US television address, March 3rd 1991

In total contrast to Bush's statement, the systematic destruction of Iraq's civilian infrastructure was a primary aim of the Gulf war. (See ATTACKING THE INFRASTRUCTURE and ATTACKING THE WATER )

Under the sanctions regime spare parts required to rebuild it are often blocked by the US dominated 'UN Sanctions Committee'. Dilapidated sewage and water purification systems have trapped the vast majority of Iraq's population in a cycle of disease that was simply unheard of before sanctions were imposed.

Prior to the war, Iraq was widely regarded as having the finest health care system in the Middle East. Additionally, barring a small nominal charge of approximately one dollar, all health care was free. Immunisation programmes had reached 92% of the population, and food was widely available. Even against the backdrop of the well documented human rights abuses of the Ba'ath Party regime, UNICEF reported in 1989 that the greatest nutritional disorder in Iraq was obesity. After ten years of sanctions UNICEF now reports that 30% of Iraqi children are chronically malnourished. The current government food ration, despite being described time and time again by UN agencies as equitable and efficiently distributed, and as the only prevention against mass starvation, lasts at best 20 days out of every month and consists primarily of carbohydrates.

The combination of malnutrition, lack of immunisation, and contaminated water has proved devastating. On average 4500 to 6000 children die EVERY MONTH in Iraq as a result. In February 2001, the Iraqi government claimed that 11,000 people died that month from sanctions related causes.

The American and British governments' claim that the 'Oil-For-Food' programme revenue is sufficient to pay for Iraq's infrastructural repair, health, food and clean water provision is simply untrue.

Since 'Oil-For-Food' was introduced in May 1996, Iraq has sold oil valued at $37 billion. As at November 2001 It has received only $9 billion of this for humanitarian aid. The Arab Monetary Fund estimated in 1996 that the rebuilding of Iraq's infrastructure would cost $232 billion. $7 billion of this would be required to repair the electrical grid alone. By the United Nations' own admission, the programme was in fact implemented only to prevent further deterioration of the situation. In the words of the former Humanitarian Aid Co-ordinator Denis Halliday: "It has failed to do that."

As at November 2000, the value of goods 'on hold' or blocked by the US representatives in the 'Sanctions Committee' totalled $2.3 billion. The situation provoked Denis Halliday, his successor Hans Von Sponeck, and the head of the World Food Programme in Iraq, Dr. Jutta Burghart, to resign in protest. Even the Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, has directly accused the United States of hampering the so-called 'Oil-For-Food' Programme "....upon which millions of people depend for their survival."

As at July 2002, the total value of humanitarian contracts blocked by the US and UK totals over $5 billion.

Prior to the renewed bombing of Iraq in 1998 ('Operation Desert Fox'), Bill Clinton stated: "If you [Saddam Hussein] continue to oppress your people, then you must be made to pay the price."

None of the pictures below are of Saddam Hussein. He is not 'paying the price'.

Except as noted these photos were taken
by

Professor Siegwart-Horst Gunther (1993 - 1998) - Copyright free [SHG]
Used with kind permission

Karen Robinson (1999) - [KR]

Robinson, a professional photographer, has graciously allowed use of her material on this site.
Those wishing to re-use or reprint her photographs in any other format, site and/or hard copy publications,
please contact her c/o cb@spannerfilms.net

	Unknown condition [KR]
Marasmus, caused by protein deficiency [SHG]
	Extreme malnutrition, and organic lesions which Professor Gunther claims was caused by noxious substances in the mother's milk. [SHG]
Child with severe malnutrition - UNICEF Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre Baghdad, April 1999 [GW]
	Marasmus, caused by protein deficiency [SHG]
Unknown condition [KR]
	Hitherto unknown disease. Professor Gunther speculates that its' cause is possibly linked to the child having played with Depleted Uranium projectiles. [SHG]
Unknown condition [Photo courtesy VITW-US]
	Unknown condition [KR]
Unknown condition [KR]
	Child with makeshift respirator [GW] This picture was taken either at the Saddam Teaching Hospital, or the Al Khadimir Hospital in Baghdad, April, 1999
Severely malnourished child Al Monseur Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, 1997 [Photo copyright Lloyd Francis]
	This mother's child is dead. According to Professor Gunther, she was unwilling to relinquish the baby. [SHG]
Unknown condition [KR]
	Child with severe malnutrition - UNICEF Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre Baghdad, April 1999 [GW]
Typical scene in the wards of the UNICEF Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre Baghdad, April 1999 [GW]
	Unknown condition [KR]
Unknown condition [KR]
	Unknown condition [SHG]
Zahra Ali, 7 months old: nutritional marasmus and very close to death. Al Monseur Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, February 1998. [Photo courtesy Chuck Quilty / VITW - US]
	The primary cause of it all: empty shelf in the emergency room, Al Monseur Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, 1997 [Photo copyright Lloyd Francis]
Child with severe malnutrition - UNICEF Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre Baghdad, April 1999 [GW]