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Mark, You post to CASI telling CASI about an article that's taken from the CASI website! That's where the article you posted below is from. rgds Dermot At 18:19 07/04/03, Mark Parkinson wrote: >This is a good summary of the effects of sanctions - which we don't >hear about on British TV. > >http://irishantiwar.org/iraq-sanctions/ > >What's the problem with Iraq? >On 2 August 1990, the United Nations Security Council imposed >economic sanctions on Iraq in response to its invasion of Kuwait. >Under these sanctions, all imports into Iraq and all exports from >Iraq were prohibited, unless the Security Council permitted >exceptions. A spokesman from the US State Department later referred >to these sanctions as "the toughest, most comprehensive sanctions in >history". Similarly, a Select Committee of the UK House of Commons >said that the Iraqi sanctions regime "is unprecedented in terms of >longevity and its comprehensive nature" (§28). > >Since 1990, there has been a severe and prolonged deterioration in >the standards of living of the vast majority of the inhabitants of >Iraq. These problems have been detailed most clearly in two reports >of the highest integrity, written in 1999. > >Firstly, the Security Council itself set up a "Humanitarian Panel" to >investigate the effects of sanctions. This Panel produced a report on >30 March 1999. This is a summary of its findings: > >"In marked contrast to the prevailing situation prior to the events >of 1990-91, the infant mortality rates in Iraq today are among the >highest in the world, low infant birth weight affects at least 23% of >all births, chronic malnutrition affects every fourth child under >five years of age, only 41% of the population have regular access to >clean water, 83% of all schools need substantial repairs. The ICRC >states that the Iraqi health-care system is today in a decrepit >state. UNDP calculates that it would take 7 billion US dollars to >rehabilitate the power sector country-wide to its 1990 capacity." >(§43). > >These are the panel's more specific findings in its report: > >Infant And Maternal Health: "Low birth weight babies (less than 2.5 >kg) rose from 4% in 1990 to around a quarter of registered births in >1997, due mainly to maternal malnutrition. UNFPA and other sources >such as the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red >Crescent Societies believe that as many as 70% of Iraqi women are >suffering from anemia." (§18) > >Malnutrition: "The dietary energy supply had fallen from 3,120 to >1,093 kilo calories per capita/per day by 1994 - 95. The prevalence >of malnutrition in Iraqi children under five almost doubled from 1991 >to 1996 (from 12% to 23%). Acute malnutrition in Center/South rose >from 3% to 11% for the same age bracket. Results of a nutritional >status survey conducted on 15,000 children under 5 years of age in >April 1997 indicated that almost the whole young child population was >affected by a shift in their nutritional status towards malnutrition >(Nutritional Status Survey of Infants in Iraq, UNICEF November 7 >1998)." (§19) > >Prices: The UN World Food Programme "indicates that according to >estimates for July 1995, average shop prices of essential commodities >stood at 850 times the July 1990 level." (§19) > >Infrastructure: "In addition to the scarcity of resources, >malnutrition problems also seem to stem from the massive >deterioration in basic infrastructure, in particular in the water- >supply and waste disposal systems. The most vulnerable groups have >been the hardest hit, especially children under five years of age who >are being exposed to unhygienic conditions, particularly in urban >centers. The WFP estimates that access to potable water is currently >50% of the 1990 level in urban areas and only 33% in rural areas." >(§20) > >Health facilities: "Since 1991, hospitals and health centers have >remained without repair and maintenance. The functional capacity of >the health care system has degraded further by shortages of water and >power supply, lack of transportation and the collapse of the >telecommunications system. Communicable diseases, such as water borne >diseases and malaria, which had been under control, came back as an >epidemic in 1993 and have now become part of the endemic pattern of >the precarious health situation, according to WHO." (§21) > >Education: "School enrollment for all ages (6-23) has declined to >53%. According to a field survey conducted in 1993, as quoted by >UNESCO, in Central and Southern governorates 83% of school buildings >needed rehabilitation, with 8,613 out of 10,334 schools having >suffered serious damages. The same source indicated that some schools >with a planned capacity of 700 pupils actually have 4500 enrolled in >them. Substantive progress in reducing adult and female illiteracy >has ceased and regressed to mid-1980 levels, according to UNICEF. The >rising number of street children and children who work can be >explained, in part, as a result of increasing rates of school drop- >outs and repetition, as more families are forced to rely on children >to secure household incomes." (§22) > >Society: On "the cumulative effects of sustained deprivation on the >psycho-social cohesion of the Iraqi population […] the following >aspects were frequently mentioned: increase in juvenile delinquency, >begging and prostitution, anxiety about the future and lack of >motivation, a rising sense of isolation bred by absence of contact >with the outside world, the development of a parallel economy replete >with profiteering and criminality, cultural and scientific >impoverishment, disruption of family life. [...] UNICEF spoke of a >whole generation of Iraqis who are growing up disconnected from the >rest of the world." (§25-26) > >Mental health: The World Health Organization "points out that the >number of mental health patients attending health facilities rose by >157% from 1990 to 1998 (from 197,000 to 507,000 persons)." (§25) >Economy: "The data provided to the panel point to a continuing >degradation of the Iraqi economy with an acute deterioration in the >living conditions of the Iraqi population and severe strains on its >social fabric. As summarized by the UNDP field office, "the country >has experienced a shift from relative affluence to massive poverty"." >(§43) > >The second report was produced by the United Nations Children's Fund >(Unicef) in August 1999. This was the summary produced by Unicef of >their findings: > >"The first surveys since 1991 of child and maternal mortality in Iraq >reveal that in the heavily-populated southern and central parts of >the country, children under five are dying at more than twice the >rate they were ten years ago. UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy >said the findings reveal an ongoing humanitarian emergency... > >The surveys reveal that in the south and center of Iraq -- home to 85 >per cent of the country's population -- under-5 mortality more than >doubled from 56 deaths per 1000 live births (1984-1989) to 131 deaths >per 1000 live births (1994-1999). Likewise infant mortality -- >defined as the death of children in their first year -- increased >from 47 per 1000 live births to 108 per 1000 live births within the >same time frame. The surveys indicate a maternal mortality ratio in >the south and center of 294 deaths per 100,000 live births over the >ten-year period 1989 to 1999. > >Ms. Bellamy noted that if the substantial reduction in child >mortality throughout Iraq during the 1980s had continued through the >1990s, there would have been half a million fewer deaths of children >under-five in the country as a whole during the eight year period >1991 to 1998." > >Unicef also reported that approximately one in every three Iraqi >women who die while of child bearing age (15 - 49 years old) die due >to complications surrounding maternity (pp.15-16). > >In summary, as Denis Halliday, the former United Nations Humanitarian >Co-ordinator in Iraq said after resigning his post in protest at the >sanctions regime, we "are in the process of destroying an entire >society. It is as simple and terrifying as that. It is illegal and >immoral". > >(more info) > > >webmaster@irishantiwar.org > >Reader's Comments >The DCU Green Society purchased a load of sanctions breaking dates >from Voices in the Wilderness and will be sharing them at a demo, >vigil, action near you! :-) >Contact iraqi-dates@greensoc.org for more information. > >-- Eoin Dubsky, April 26, 2002 > >Add a comment >Related Links >Guide to Sanctions- A comprehensive guide to the santions from the >Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq (contributed by Sys Admin) > >Campaign to End Iraq Sanctions- The Campaign to End Iraq Sanctions >was originally formed in June 1999, by a group of human rights >activists, concerned members of the general public and members of >Iraqi community, who were deeply concerned and alarmed by the >escalating humanitarian crises in Iraq resulting directly from the >imposition of sanctions by the United Nation's Security Council >(contributed by Web Master) > >Add a link >Mark Parkinson >Bodmin >Cornwall > > > >_______________________________________________ >Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. >To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss >To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk >All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk