- Aid agencies have warned that the Geneva convention is
being breached in Falluja, Iraq, amid serious concern about the safety
of civilians in the city where at least 600 people have been killed by
coalition forces.
-
- The medical emergency charity Merlin has issued a sternly
worded statement, saying its fears for the safety of people in Falluja
were "based on our experience on the ground in Iraq". The UK-based
charity Islamic Relief has also warned of "a potential humanitarian
crisis".
-
- The Merlin statement warns: "We have reason to believe
that the Geneva convention - which obliges the occupying power to restore
and ensure public order, safety and basic service provision in the territory
under its authority - is being breached."
-
- The charity cites the high level of civilian casualties
in Falluja, where at least 600 Iraqis have been reported dead, and the
use of force, as examples of the breach. "International media and
our own sources on the ground report untargeted fire resulting in civilian
deaths in Falluja," Merlin says.
-
- Other potential breaches of the Geneva convention includes
reports of coalition forces preventing civilians seeking safety outside
Falluja and a lack of life-saving services. Food, water and electricity
are still unavailable in many parts of Falluja, the charity says.
-
- Merlin is also extremely concerned by reports that the
general hospital of Falluja is being used as a military base by coalition
forces, and the level of delays to aid supplies containing food, water
and medical equipment. "Humanitarian agencies trying to supply life-saving
supplies such as food and medicine have been obstructed by coalition forces,"
the statement says.
-
- A spokeswoman for the charity said: "Merlin is a
member of the Iraq Platform, a forum which enables non-government organisations
(NGOs) working in Iraq to share information from the ground. A number of
NGOs have tried to access Falluja, and have witnessed incidents we describe.
-
- "They are becoming increasingly concerned for the
civilians of Falluja, whose basic rights to safety and care are being ignored."
-
- Islamic Relief, another member of the Iraq Platform,
has sent two convoys of humanitarian aid into Falluja, some of it supplied
by other agencies that could not gain access to the besieged city. A spokesman
confirmed that a third would be on the way in the next few days "if
security allows it".
-
- "We sent a convoy to Falluja but staff came under
heavy bombing. Now a third or more of the people have fled to Baghdad.
We are working with those people now because the situation is very tense.
We are providing food and non-food items," the spokesman said.
-
- Islamic Relief vehicles leaving Falluja ferried 30 fleeing
families to Baghdad, including a pregnant woman who gave birth to a baby
on board the charity's truck.
-
- Aid workers reported that doctors in Falluja "were
exhausted and need to be replaced" while there was an urgent need
for emergency health kits and a "severe shortage of food and medicine".
Security was "the major obstacle faced by the team".
-
- "We need to highlight the potential humanitarian
crisis if the violence keeps going," the spokesman said.
-
- Islamic Relief, which is working in five areas of Iraq
including Baghdad and Najaf in the south of the country, said it was developing
the capacity to deal with potential crises in other cities and building
up supplies of food and blankets.
-
- SocietyGuardian.co.uk © Guardian Newspapers Limited
2004 http://society.guardian.co.uk/disasterresponse/story/0,1321,1203764,00.html
|
