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With regard to the actions of the Sanctions Committee Dirk wrote that: >I was in Iraq during the month of july 2001, leading a solidarity >delegation. We also met with Dr Amer of the Basra teaching hospital. I was >very impressed by the things he said ... I had the impression that this Dr >Amer was fully aware of what was going on in the sanctions Committee, >because he saw the consequences in the health >sector: Allocated amount: 2.861,90 million $, cost of materials that reached >Iraq: 991,20 million $ (between 26/12/96 and 2/5/2001), that is 34,6%. All >the rest in "on hold" by the sanctions committee. I'm sure this last claim is false and would be interested to know the source. As at October 31 the UN had received some $2,741 bn worth of contracts for the health sector. Of these, $1,709 bn worth had been approved by the Sanctions Committee, $487 mn had gone through on the 'fast track' and $398 mn had been placed 'on hold.' $1,488.8 bn worth of these goods had actually arrived in Iraq (figures taken 'Basic Figures' on the OIP web-site: www.un.org/depts/oip) Since not all shortages are the result of 'holds' in the Sanctions Committee, *by themselves* these shortages indicate very little about what's happening in the Committee. Some of the other reasons for shortages were outlined in the Secretary-General's May 2001 report which noted that the 'shortages of drugs and hospital equipment still being reported' at that time were 'attributable to the late and inadequate contracting in respect of drugs and, until recently, vaccines, as well as holds placed on applications in respect of hospital equipment such as autoclaves.' Best wishes, Gabriel voices uk -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq For removal from list, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk CASI's website - www.casi.org.uk - includes an archive of all postings.