UN experts on humanitarian crisis caused by Iraqi war

A well-informed source said that according to a secret UN report, during the Iraqi war up to 500,000 Iraqis would be injured, about 3 mln people would face hunger and the number of refugees would make up about 900,000 people.

According to the data of UN experts, a destroyed infrastructure of the country will result in a worse sanitary situation. The report stresses that "it is necessary to get ready for epidemics or pandemics." "A humanitarian crisis is most probable because the present economic situation in Iraq worsened in comparison with 1991 as international sanctions were imposed," UN experts believe.

According to estimates of the report's authors, "transportation and energy supply systems will be affected most of all. Extraction and sale of crude oil and petrochemicals will be ceased." While commenting on the report, the source stressed that "the USA is fully responsible for the war's grave consequences, as it launched the military operation bypassing the UN." "The consequences may be a humanitarian, economic, ecological and others catastrophes," the source said.

He recalled that there have already been registered casualties among civilians including children. Moreover, the source stressed that "the question arises whether the norms of the international humanitarian law are observed during the Iraqi war."