Boston Globe, January 30, 2003
Report: Iraqi Health Care System Grossly Inadequate to Deal With Human
Health Consequences of War;
Researchers From Center for Economic and Social Rights Reveal Relief
Agencies Unprepared for Likely Humanitarian Catastrophe in Iraq
NEW YORK, Jan. 30 (AScribe Newswire) -- A US-led military intervention
in Iraq will trigger the collapse of an already fragile Iraqi public
health system, leading to a humanitarian crisis that far exceeds the
capacity of the United Nations and relief agencies, according to a
report released today in Baghdad by the New York-based Center for
Economic and Social Rights (CESR).
Researchers associated with CESR report that the fragile Iraqi health
care system, already badly damaged by 12 years of economic sanctions,
is woefully inadequate to deal with the effects of a new war. Among
their findings:
o 92 percent of hospitals surveyed indicated they were lacking basic
medical equipment;
o Intra-operative and post-operative surgical care is virtually
unavailable;
o Basic laboratory tests are limited by a chronic lack of essential
equipment and supplies;
o Damage to electrical and water systems will severely constrain
medical services;
o Shortages of medications, including antibiotics, already undermine
routine medical care; and
o Medical system is poorly equipped to handle care of civilian
casualties resulting from war.
The report warns that while UN agencies anticipate a ''humanitarian
emergency of exceptional scale and magnitude,'' they lack an effective
response capacity. ''Our report confirms that it is unlikely that
international relief agencies can avert a major humanitarian
disaster,'' said Michael Van Rooyen, Director of the Center for
International Emergency, Disaster and Refugee Studies at the
''
Professor of Clinical Public Health and Director of the Program on
Forced Migration and Health at
Public Health. ''The population survives largely on government food
rations and depends on a fragile public health system. They are
extremely vulnerable.''
The report's findings are based on a research mission
from January
19-29 by a CESR team of 16 humanitarian experts, including Hans von
Sponeck, former UN Humanitarian Coordinator for
northern, central and southern
Iraqi government officials; visited hospitals, clinics, public
markets, electricity, water and sanitation plants, and other civilian
sites; and reviewed confidential UN documents.
The research findings question the capacity of relevant actors to
operate effectively in light of the anticipated destruction of
transportation and communications systems and the collapse of the
public infrastructure. Current health and nutritional needs of the
Iraqi population are served by a massive and highly
complex system
administered by the government of
which the
government-run operations in the event of war have little or no recent
history of working in
fully operational in
Iraqi civilians.
Pentagon war plans for
civilian infrastructure, in violation of international law. One of
the first targets of the planned military campaign will be
electricity grid, which will cause catastrophic damage to water,
sanitation, public health, and food distribution systems. As in the
1991 Gulf War, this form of warfare will claim an enormous number of
civilian lives, many of them children. Such disproportionate
collateral damage would violate fundamental principles of the laws of
war, including the
''objects indispensable for the survival of the civilian population.''
Philip Alston, Professor of Law at
U.N. human rights official, said ''The rules of engagement are clear.
If war cannot be prevented, both the
obligated to comply with the same standards to which every other
country in the world is subject. President Bush has publicly
threatened war crimes prosecution for every Iraqi soldier who follows
illegal orders. This is entirely appropriate. But
no American
official has warned
for war crimes. If any party seeks to act above the law, CESR and
likeminded human rights groups will work to ensure they are held
accountable for their actions.''
Roger Normand, Executive Director of CESR, said ''It is now the duty
of global civil society to demand that the Bush Administration abide
by these laws, not only for the sake of innocent civilians in
but also to avoid a precedent whereby children and other
noncombatants are deprived of all protections in war.''
CESR also concluded a first round of talks with Deputy Foreign
Minister Tariq Aziz and other members of the Iraqi government as part
of an international civic peace initiative organized by the Center.
Comprised of prominent experts in conflict resolution and
international human rights law from the
series of preliminary discussions on disarmament and regional
security. Roelf Meyer, Chair of the Civil Society Initiative of South
Africa and former Minister of Defense and Constitutional Affairs, said
''The next step will be to report to the President ((Thabo Mbeki,
President of the Republic of South Africa)) and the international
press. The joint way forward is a government, multilateral
organization, and civic society initiative in the time that is
available to avoid war.''
The Center for Economic and Social Rights, based in
non-partisan international organization dedicated to promoting social
justice through human rights. CESR executive staff has led six
humanitarian missions to
International Study Team missions in March and August of 1991. CESR's
mission to
caused by Security Council sanctions, was featured by the CBS news
program 60 Minutes. CESR is funded by a broad range of individuals
and foundations, including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur,
Ford and Joyce Mertz-Gilmore foundations.
The same Boston Globe issue reported similar conclusions from
The team forecasts a ''grave humanitarian disaster'' in its report Our
Common Responsibility: The Impact of a New War on
prepared by 10 experts from the International Study Team (IST). The
International Study Team's report on the humanitarian situation in
such reports.
The group's executive summary:
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/UNID/C5468F6F4D249A4885256CBF006DA95F?OpenDocument