U.N. warns of humanitarian crisis in southern Iraq

[Barrett808]

U.N. warns of humanitarian crisis in southern Iraq
By Suleiman al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) - A humanitarian crisis could erupt in Iraq's second largest city of Basra with the shortage of drinking water at the peak of summer made worse by power cuts, a senior U.N. official warned on Thursday.

"We are confronting a potential serious humanitarian crisis," Ross Mountain, acting special representative of the U.N. Secretary General for Iraq, told Reuters in Amman.

"We have no indication that there is anywhere else in the country that is facing this kind of crisis. Nobody is facing 50 degree (Celsius) temperatures with less than half the supply of water required ... There is nowhere as bad as the Basra area."

The impoverished southern city has always faced problems of access to drinking water, despite abundant supplies from the Shatt al-Arab waterway formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates, because of a lack of investment and sanctions blighting infrastructure projects.

"We are concerned that on current trends with rising temperatures, with such limited electricity, with the inadequacy of the water being pumped, that the population of Basra will be even more seriously deprived of water," Mountain said.

(more)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L2950132.htm

[lottie244]

1. Now, just what we be the cause of this?

Oh, one of Bush's accomplishments.

[jpgray]

2. Is that still the Brits' jurisdiction?

Are they staying in their own 'green zone'?

[tlcandie]

3. These are becoming.. at least to me... about like the terra color-

coded alerts! I've heard this so many times that it's driving me up the wall!

I do NOT doubt this for one second, BUT why the hell have we not done anything about this situation since we bombed the hell out of Iraq?!?!

Oh, we've been too busy with getting the oil secured and pumping correctly! How could I forget!

[theHandpuppet]

4. Sorry, folks...

We reserve those billion dollar pipelines for oil, not drinking water. Dick and his pals from Halliburton can't make a profit quenching THAT kind of thirst.

[daleo]

5. Before the "handoff", this would have been a U.S./U.K. responsibility

As the occupying power. I wonder if they dodged this legally, with the so-called transfer of power to Allawi.

[goforit]

6. Will Bush be responsible for this....as ethnic cleansing???

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. Basra was the "charge to keep" for Mighty Britannia

Before they got there asses kick out by the Mujahideen. Now the Oil rich
impoverished city has been orphaned.