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Iraq Dispatches: Urgent Humanitarian Crisis in Western Iraq, from Dahr Jamail, Aug. 22, 2005

Iraq Dispatches: Urgent Humanitarian Crisis in Western Iraq


** Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches **
** http://www.dahrjamailiraq.com **

*This is an appeal written by Iraqi Doctors concerning what is happening
in western Iraq. It is both extremely informative as well as an
important appeal. Operations in many of these areas are ongoing today,
despite the fact that this press release is a week old:

DOCTORS FOR IRAQ WARNS OF URGENT HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AS US/IRAQI
MILITARY ATTACKS CONTINUE IN THE WEST OF IRAQ

*As US/ Iraqi military attacks continue in Haditha, Rawa, Parwana and
Heet in the West of Iraq, Doctors for Iraq is warning of an urgent
health and humanitarian crisis unfolding on the ground.

Haditha, Rawa and Parwana have been under attack for the past three
weeks with US/ Iraqi military activities intensifying over the past few
days. The main hospitals in the area are reporting shortages of medicine
oxygen, surgerical kits, anti-biotics and other basic medicines.

Civilians have fled to neighbouring towns and villages such as Ana and
are in need of basic foods, water and shelter. Shop keepers are unable
to open their premises because of the US/ Iraqi operation, and trucks
with urgent food supplies are facing serious difficulties entering the
seiged areas.

Eyewitnesses and medical personnel have told Doctors For Iraq that
snipers are operating inside some of the seiged cities. Haditha hospital
estimates that at least eleven civilians were killed during the attack
and 15 injured. The US military prevented ambulances from entering the
areas and medics from working freely. The area remains under siege.

Local people say that US marines invaded the town of Rawa and carried
out air strikes, bombing many buildings and homes. It unclear how many
civilians have been killed or injured in the areas where the military is
carrying out operations. A school building in Parwana was bombed with
people inside the school. It is unclear how many people were inside the
school and who they were.

Doctors for Iraq has organised for medical aid to reach some of the
hospitals and a medical team has been sent to the affected areas.

The military operations in the West of Iraq have left the healthcare
system paralysed. Hospitals in the area are unable to provide sufficient
medical services for the population. The new military attacks are
further compounding the suffering of people in the area.

Doctors for Iraq is calling for the *_immediate_* *_end_* of US/ Iraqi
military attacks in the area.

Doctors for Iraq is calling for an independent investigation into the
serious breaches of the Geneva Convention, the alleged killing of
civilians and obstructing medical personnel from carrying out their work.

We urgently need medical supplies to be delivered to the hospitals in the
area.

For more information or to find out how you can send medical aid to the
areas contact:

Dr. Salam Ismael
_Salam.obaidi@doctorsforiraq.org
_Or Aisha Ismael
_Press.officer@doctorsforiraq.org_

_______________________________________________
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posted by Annamarie at 4:06 PM