Red Cross Warns "Disastrous", “Immense” Iraqi Humanitarian Crisis "Ever-Worsening"

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Thursday, April 12th, 2007

From Democracy Now!

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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/12/1348211


The International Committee of the Red Cross is warning that the conflict in Iraq is inflicting immense suffering on the entire population and is steadily getting worse. The Red Cross says “civilians are bearing the brunt of the relentless violence and the extremely poor security conditions that are disrupting the lives and livelihoods of millions.” ICRC spokesperson Nada Doumani joins us from Amman, Jordan. An explosion rocked the Iraqi parliament in Baghdad today, killing at least one person and wounding dozens more. The blast reportedly took place at a cafeteria inside the building at a time when many members of parliament were having lunch. The parliament building is located inside the heavily fortified Green Zone.

Earlier today a truck bomb explosion on a bridge in Baghdad killed as many ten people and sent several cars plunging into the Tigris River below. The blast partially destroyed the Sarafiya Bridge, a major artery linking east and west Baghdad.

The violence comes one day after the International Committee of the Red Cross is warning in a new report that the conflict in Iraq is inflicting immense suffering on the entire population and is steadily getting worse. The Red Cross says “civilians are bearing the brunt of the relentless violence and the extremely poor security conditions that are disrupting the lives and livelihoods of millions.” The report found that hospitals are overstretched, malnutrition is rising and power outages are intensifying.

The ICRC still has a presence in Iraq despite the bombing of its Baghdad offices three and a half years ago. It has over 400 Iraqis working for it in the country and has an additional 57 international staff based in Iraq and Jordan.

* Nada Doumani. Spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross. She joins us on the line from Amman, Jordan.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/12/1348211


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