Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations present in over 200 countries and territories. It reports from Vatican City that
malnutrition rates have risen in Iraq from 19 percent before the US-led invasion to a national average of 28 percent four years later.*** Over 11 percent of newborn babies are born underweight in Iraq today, compared with a figure of 4 percent in 2003. Before March 2003, Iraq already had significant infant mortality due to malnutrition because of the international sanctions regime.
Caritas is in a good position to know about these issues. It runs a series of Well Baby clinics throughout Iraq.
Caritas added:
"Iraq has the second largest oil supplies in the world, but it has levels of poverty, hunger and underdevelopment comparable to sub-Saharan Africa."The last four years, but in particular 2006, we have seen life get worse rather than better for the ordinary Iraqi. And people are voting with their feet. Everyday 5000 people leave Iraq. In 2007, one in ten Iraqis is expected to leave the country.
Oh, and how is the surge working? Violence is down in Baghdad but --- http://www.alertnet....
Two suicide bombings in involving toxic chlorine gas made 350 people ill in Falluja on Friday, the U.S. military said on Saturday, and another smaller bomb attack near Ramadi also released chlorine gas. Hospital sources said earlier that eight people were killed and dozens suffered ill effects from chlorine gas released in the two bombings in Falluja.