Almost one week of continuous fighting in Basra, Baghdad and other
governorates has left hundreds of people dead and many more wounded.
While some areas in Baghdad and Basra remain tense, people began to move freely again this morning.
Fearing
another deterioration in the situation, they stocked up on food, water and other essential goods.
Hospitals have used up stocks of vital medical items and require further supplies to cope
with the influx of wounded patients.
Access to water remains a matter of concern in certain areas.
Life-saving medical services affected by the fighting Life-saving medical
services have been affected by the fighting in Basra, Baghdad and elsewhere in the country.
“Several ambulances were hit in Basra and some were not allowed to reach injured persons in
urgent need of medical care,” said Juan-Pedro Schaerer, head of the ICRC delegation for Iraq.
“It is the duty of the parties to the conflict to provide safe passage for
ambulances and to spare the wounded and those taking care of them.” Parties to the conflict must allow medical services to carry out their activities unhindered and medical supplies to reach
hospitals.
ICRC assistance The ICRC is about to deliver eight tonnes of medical supplies to four hospitals in Baghdad and to hand over a further six tonnes to the Department of Health in
Kut for the Kut, Hilla and Najaf hospitals.
In recent days the ICRC has received several requests for emergency supplies from hospitals in Baghdad.
On 30 March, the ICRC
delivered to Imam Ali General Hospital in Sadr City and to Baghdad General Hospital three tonnes of supplies, including pharmaceuticals, dressings, sutures, anaesthetics, and other surgical
consumables – enough to treat about 200 patients.
In addition, the ICRC supplied Al Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, west of the capital, with enough suture modules to treat 200
patients.
A total of 700 family parcels, each containing a one-month supply of food, which had been provided for the Social Welfare Organization by the ICRC before the recent fighting, have
been distributed to needy families in Sadr City.
For further information, please contact:
Dorothea Krimitsas, ICRC Geneva, tel.
A firefighter sprays water on burning grass at a village near Bangkok March 31, 2008. The first formal talks in the long process of drawing up a replacement for the Kyoto ...
