Transcript of the UN humanitarian briefing in Amman, Jordan, 7 April

[David]

Nejib Friji, UN Spokesman

Secretary General Kofi Annan is meeting at 11 am today with the 15 members of the Security Council in his conference room. This meeting will be devoted to Iraq.

The meeting comes after Annan talked separately with all 191 member states last week, and discussed the humanitarian situation in the war torn country and the UN's role in its reconstruction.

David Wimhurst, Spokesman for the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (UNHCOI)

Baghdad
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, all hospitals are under extreme pressure. The influx of injured at the Al-Yarmouk hospital in the city reached 100 people per hour, yesterday. The Mahmoudiya hospital (south Baghdad) can no longer cope with the large number of war-wounded. The water situation generally remains critical, as pressure in the network drops. The ICRC is continuing to distribute water as widely as possible, but the Wathba water-treatment plant has been out of operation since 3 April because of the lack of power.

In Anbar (west of Baghdad) the installation of three generators supplied by the ICRC restored the water supply to 60,000 people yesterday. They had been without water since 29 March.

In Umm Qasr the UN assessment mission has found that while potable water is available throughout the city from the Kuwaiti pipeline and the tanker system, it remains insufficient for the needs of the population. Water deliveries to the hospital are also considered insufficient. UNICEF will truck water from Kuwait for Umm Qasr's hospital and primary health care unit and install temporary water storage and pumping systems at those facilities, as a matter of priority. Additional temporary storage and pumping will be established at selected points in and around the town. UNICEF will work towards reactivating existing Iraqi water and sanitation systems and personnel. Seventeen technicians have already been identified.

The World Food Programme has reported that they identified 200-300 IDPs inhabiting the former UNIKOM HQ and immediately distributed food to them all.

UNICEF has provided one basic health kit to the local hospital, which has been treating 200 to 300 patients a week but can no longer provide emergency services. Oral rehydration salts are in short supply, as well as BCG, measles and hepatitis B vaccines, which will be procured for Umm Qasr immediately.

Thirty food agents are reportedly still present in Umm Qasr and willing to return to work. The ration card system is still in place and family food stocks are sufficient for up to two months, but there is a lack of affordable protein. WFP will try to reactivate the food agents and the distribution system, utilizing the existing ration card system. However, there is no fuel available in Umm Qasr for vehicles, pumps, or cooking.

Marteen Roest, Spokesman for the World Food Programme (WFP)


Following the arrival of the first major convoy of WFP food aid into Iraq from Turkey, our staff in Dahuk have started distributing the much-needed wheat flour. Almost 24,000 people in the densely populated Amadia district (near the border with Turkey) are benefiting from this first distribution - of more than 200 tons.

The challenge is to sustain this corridor. So far, about 850 tons of wheat flour have been offloaded in Dahuk. Another 1,000 tons are heading in a 55-truck convoy for the Turkish-Iraqi border today, destined for Erbil.

Thanks to the WFP convoys from Turkey, the delayed March and April deliveries of this region's staple commodity can now take place.

We don't have a final report on yesterday's WFP's mission into Umm Qasr yet. However, it appears that food is available in the city, with no shortages reported at present. While the port is said to be workable, it is not able to receive large ships yet (of over 10,000 tons, due to silt). The port currently does not have electricity. The railway was reported to be in reasonable condition, at the port itself. The silos also seem to be in good condition, and have about one-third of their normal power supply.

Fadela Chaib, Spokeswoman for the World Health Organization (WHO)
Children
Today to mark World Health Day and its theme of "Healthy Environments for Children" we want to focus on the 12 million children in Iraq (half of the population) and the impact war is having on their lives. The fundamental right of any child is the right to life and that right is under serious threat in Iraq. Wars inevitably have a major impact on civilians, and particularly on children. We have all seen some very disturbing pictures of child victims of this conflict - children with burn injuries, a young boy lying in a hospital bed, both his arms blown off. And away from the cameras, these scenes are being repeated every day. The World Health Organization again reminds of all sides in the conflict of their obligations to avoid injuries to civilians.

Hundreds of civilians are being injured, every day. And civilian injuries have a double impact on children - whether or not they are the direct victims, they may find themselves without a mother, a father, brothers or sisters. And don't forget that many of the "military casualties" we hear about are men whose children will now have to grow up without them.

Those who are injured and survive may end up in hospital needing treatment for third degree burns, or having limbs amputated and never again being able to run properly or play. Hospitals in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq are being overwhelmed by the numbers of injured people being brought in for treatment. Many are reported to be running short of supplies of medicines, anaesthetics and basic equipment. Some hospitals and health centres have also been affected by the damage to electricity and water supplies. Even those with functioning back-up generators may not have access to regular supplies of clean, safe water. Treating people and particularly conducting surgical operations under these circumstances is extremely dangerous for the health of patients.

Even before this conflict began, the children of Iraq were suffering from the combined impact of poverty and international sanctions. Infant mortality rates before the war began were twice as high as those in 1990. One in eight Iraqi children dies before reaching the age of five, one in three is undernourished, one in four begins life as an underweight baby. The three biggest child killers are acute respiratory infection, diarrhoeal diseases and measles.

Damage to electricity and water systems, combined with rising temperatures, will only increase the risk of diarrhoea and other diseases, add to the difficulties of women giving birth, and kill even more children.

WHO is also extremely concerned about the psychological impact of conflict, fear, and the loss of family members or neighbours on Iraqi children. The physical and psychological damage of conflict could take years to heal, and are likely to leave many permanent scars.

WHO has appealed for US$ 325 million to cover the immediate health, nutrition, water and sanitation needs of the most vulnerable populations, particularly women and children. With half of the population representing the future of the country, it is absolutely imperative for all to ensure the rapid reinstatement of a safe environment for children to grow up in.

Health is a fundamental right of children. It is our responsibility to create conditions for children that safeguard their health.

Wivina Belmonte, Spokeswoman for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)

On this, World Health Day, one can only wonder what an eight-year-old child in Baghdad might be imagining about the daily nightmare he or she is witnessing.

That child is living in a home without electricity. A city where hospitals are reportedly taking in 100 casualties every hour. Where schools, and the idea of a normal routine have been suspended for days now, and where a night's sleep is interrupted by the sounds of shelling and gunfire.

The pictures we see on our televisions, show us the most immediate, most stark images of children -- hurt and injured in the conflict. What is more difficult to show, but which has its own devastating effect is the lack of water, the poor and deteriorating health conditions, and the trauma each child is living.

UNICEF is not only deeply concerned by this -- we are active -- on the ground in Southern Iraq on the ground in Northern Iraq, and with supplies in Baghdad -- placed there before the conflict.

Today, UNICEF sent a convoy of 11 trucks across the border in Kuwait to towns in Southern Iraq, including Basra, Safwan and Zubair.

Each truck was carrying urgent supplies - thousands of litres of clean water and life-saving medical supplies, destined to those who need them most.

Today's convoy brings to more than 60, the number of trucks UNICEF has sent into Southern Iraq - each day with more supplies, each day further into the country.

Clearly, we still need to reach many more children, in many more places.

With each passing day, as the conflict continues, a humanitarian clock is ticking -- it's a question of access, it's a question of distribution, it's a question of time, and it's a question of the lives of Iraqi children.

Chris Lom, Spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM)

JORDAN - Last night 13 of 33 Palestinians staying in the Ruweished transit camp for third country nationals were given permission by the Jordanian authorities to travel to Amman with IOM to stay with family members.

The transit camp's sole Malian resident flew back to Bamako from Amman with IOM this afternoon.

No new third country nationals have crossed the Karama border into Jordan over the past 24 hours.

The total number of third country nationals arriving in Jordan is now 756. Of these, 513 have returned to their home countries with IOM assistance.

There are currently 230 third country nationals in Ruweished camp, which is run by the Jordanian Red Crescent, supported by the IFRC and IOM.

SYRIA - IOM staff at the Abu Kamal border crossing temporarily withdrew to Deir el Zor yesterday, after evacuating six third country nationals and an Iraqi refugee, following bombardments close to the border.

Explosions were also heard at the Al Yarubiya border crossing point yesterday. The IOM bus stationed at the border to pick up third country nationals and refugees fleeing Iraq temporarily withdrew to the transit area three kilometres inside Syria.

IOM Syria has repatriated 237 third country nationals since the beginning of the conflict. They include 160 Sudanese, 32 Moroccans, 24 Egyptians and one Eritrean.

IRAN - No new third country nationals have arrived in Iran from Iraq over the past week. On March 31st IOM successfully evacuated 144 Sudanese from No Man's Land on the Iran-Iraq border and flew them from Kermanshah to Khartoum.

Questions and Answers

Q: Petra News: Nejib, you may have noticed today the Iraqi Minister of Information in his Press Conference, he said that if the UN continued to be governed by the US, it will become a whorehouse; what is your comment about this statement?

A: N. Friji: The Iraqi people are the main victims of this war, their fate should be our first concern. The Secretary General has expressed several times, his understanding of the frustration of the Iraqi people and the authorities. But such comments, I cannot dignify them with a reply.

Q: You were saying that the humanitarian clock is ticking, and that day after day despite the pictures we see, something resembling a humanitarian aid distribution by the invading forces; we see a lot of interviews with men on the street in Iraq, frustrated, talking about lack of food & water. How much can the UN wait, what is happening with the discussions with who ever you need to discuss this with, in terms of military sides, to see when the UN will be able to have access it needs?

A: D. Wimhurst: As you heard from Nejib today, the Secretary General's meeting with the members of the Security Council on an informal basis& he met with all the regional groups member states last week. There are very intense planning going on the level of New York, on the way in which humanitarian assistance can be brought in. But as long as the conflict is continuing on the ground & as long as we don't have secure access, obviously it makes out task extremely difficult. What we want to see is secure access as rapidly as possible to as many areas as possible so that we can expand on the humanitarian assistance operations already in place. We hope that will happen very quickly, but I cannot give you a timetable, it is simply not possible at this point.

Q: Do you have to wait for the discussions to take place from the Security Council & work from there or are you already trying to do something about it?

A: D. Wimhurst: We exchange information with the Humanitarian Operation Center, based in Kuwait & that is the central hub for conveying information from & to the military organizations on the ground. But on term of organizing large scale humanitarian convoys into Iraq at this point, those arrangements have not been made, we cannot make those arrangements, as long as the conflict continues in areas that simply are off limits. The ICRC are cut off from many towns in the south now, through the nature of the conflict. We are going into areas were we can now & we are hoping to go into more from points outside Iraq as soon as possible. But as I say, it's a question of secure access & being able to do the job properly. We hope to so that as soon as we can, we are all extremely frustrated at the moment, but hope to see a break in it soon.

Q: Aida Taweel, Dustour Newspaper: What mechanism is going to used to reach the Iraqi people in Baghdad & the outskirts, since you don't have a mobile UN team. Especially that thousand of people also don't know how to reach you?

A: D. Whimhurst: We will use whatever means are necessary, but until we have the ability under these present conditions on a secure basis, we are very limited in what we can do to bring aid on the ground. In Baghdad right now, as you know, there are organizations at work doing the best they can using stocks that are available, but we also know that medical stocks are quickly running out. One of the priorities is to get medical supplies as soon as possible, but again I repeat, we don't have a specific timetable of when this will take place, all I say is, planning is going on & as soon as the operation is ready we will announce it.

N. Friji: Let me add, that it is the full responsibility of the belligerent powers to ensure that civilians are protected & that their needs are met.

Q: AP: This morning at the US embassy, the US disaster system response team leader, said that there is no major humanitarian crisis at Iraq at present & he based that principally on very rough estimates of IDPs in Iraq, that there are not millions, that one fears, at one point he said hundreds, at others he said thousands. This is a matter a definition of the word major I suppose, are there any thoughts on the panel about that characterization?

A: D. Wimhurst: The number of IDP's is not tangible, we are trying to get a grip on it ourselves, but it is certainly more than thousands. We have seen a large scale of IDP's in the north & in the south they seem to be picking up as we reported in the last two days. Generally speaking, to say it is not critical, if you are referring to food stocks, we have said since the beginning that they would last till the end of April and we now are three weeks away from the end of April, so it is not yet critical. What is critical is the state of the water & power supplies in the major urban centers & the medical stocks in the hospitals. As you know if water goes down, diseases quickly spread, the most vulnerable will be hit hardest, the hospitals are already over stretched; so I would say it is critical in the areas I just mentioned & it will remain critical, until large scale assistance can be brought in rapidly.

Q: If the humanitarian assistance is parity, do you have a problem with getting aid in through military escorts & are you dealing with HAC- humanitarian coordination center based in Jordan?

A: D. Wimhurst: The idea of a military escort is an absolute last resort; this is not the preferred method for bringing humanitarian assistance in. We repeatedly said that we take an impartial & independent stance, separate from all military organizations. We believe it is important for the safety & security of the humanitarian workers and also for the impartial distribution of humanitarian aid. Our primary contacts will be with the Humanitarian Operation Center HOC in Kuwait, with we would exchange information on these issues.

Q: Are you boycotting the HAC?

A: D. Wimhurst: No, we work through the body in Kuwait.

Q: BBC: Do you think the situation is getting so serious in Baghdad, how would you bring in assistance and would you need to go to that last resort & get military escorts?

A: D. Wimhurst: Well I think the quickest way to get supplies in, would be by aircrafts. That would seem like the logical way to do it, but I'm not aware of any plans at the moment to do that, given the security situation on the ground.

Q: Charles Dagger, CBS News: How reliant, if at all, on the Iraqis themselves, delivering this humanitarian aid & what levels of cooperation do you expect?

A: D. Whimhurst: In terms of food, we would, as I just pointed out, in Um Qaser, we would hope to revive the food distribution system. There are around 46,000 distribution agents in Iraq. Presumably that network will to some extent remain in tact, so that we will look to use that sort of system & it's a system run by Iraqis & it's done quite efficiently. All the agencies represented at this table & others work with national Iraqi organizations, which assist in the work of humanitarian assistance & we will continue to do that.

Q: IOM, could you give us more information on the Iraqi refugees who evacuated to Syria, for example did he or she (rest is inaudible)

A: C. Lom: This Iraqi refugee was evacuated with six third country nationals from Abu Kamal on the border to Al Haw refugee camp in Syria, because of the fighting on the Iraqi border. It was simply a matter of safety.

P. Kessler: I understand they were all males.