Focus on humanitarian needs in Sunni Triangle

The three cities of Ramadi, Fallujah and Samarrah, west of Baghdad, in the "Sunni triangle" where US troops are fighting insurgents, are in desperate need of medical supplies and other aid, according to hospital staff. The Ministry of Health (MoH) and NGOs around Baghdad add that the situation is critical as they are having difficulties in accessing the area and are prevented from delivering aid due to insecurity. Medical officials in the cities have warned that the delay in the arrival of aid is affecting life-saving treatment. They are calling on government officials to take urgent action in a critical situation. FALLUJAH Medical officials at the main hospital in Fallujah, 60 km west of Baghdad, have reported a severe shortage of antibiotics, particularly those used in emergency situations. "We need a constant supply in our hospital and we need to have a store of materials in case of prolonged fighting," Dr Rafa'ah Hayad al-Iyssaue, director of the hospital, told IRIN. Al-Iyssaue added that anaesthetics required for operations as well as syrups for children were also in demand. Although the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had sent one and a half mt of medical supplies, they had run out again due to intense fighting in the area. Local residents have been trying to help out. "A group of volunteers have been sent today to the hospital to help us with our work. These people are civilians from the city," he explained. The MoH said it had sent medical supplies to the city three days ago via the ICRC and Iraq Red Crescent Society (IRCS). Ferdous Al-Abadi, a spokeswoman for the IRCS, told IRIN in Baghdad that they were going to send food supplies, clean water and medical supplies in the next few days, including deliveries to the al-Habanya area on the outskirts of Fallujah, where people have fled to. She added that the number there of displaced from Fallujah had reached 1,500 families. Civilians said the insecurity was taking its toll on human life. "My 14-year-old son was hit when he was going to get our monthly food ration. We can't even eat, there is no longer any security in our country," Hamid Yassin, a father of five in Fallujah told IRIN. US Marines spokesman Lt-Col T.V. Johnson told IRIN that they had informed their superiors about the requirements at the main city hospital and had heard that the MoH was taking care of the situation. "We are here to give Iraq freedom and help for anything they need, but due to security reasons we need to be careful not to be so close to the target," he said. Air strikes last Saturday night killed five people and wounded eight, hospital sources said. Residents said dozens of houses had been damaged in the eastern and western districts. There was some normality, however, on Sunday as shops opened and people were driving around. But the sound of planes echoed above and US army check points have been set up in the city to prevent weapons reaching insurgents, army officials said. Al-Iyssaue said the number of deaths had reached at least 450 since April of this year with some 1,800 injured. More than 60 houses were damaged around the district, he said, adding that he believed the death toll could be higher. SAMARRAH Samarrah Central Hospital, 125 km west of the capital, Baghdad also reported a severe shortage in anaesthetics, operating equipment and antibiotics. Dr Khalid Ahmed, deputy director of the hospital, told IRIN that the hospital was suffering due to a lack of operating equipment and that even basic instruments such as those to check blood pressure were not working. "We cannot carry out major surgery because there is a lack of anaesthetics and the ones that are sent to us by the NGOs are being used in the small surgical procedures," Ahmed explained. The ICRC and the IRCS had delivered medicine and food to the city, which has a population of 250,000, together with clean water as the supply of pure water had deteriorated before the conflict began. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has been helping with food supplies delivered through the IRCS and the UK-based Islamic Relief NGO. High protein biscuits and milk powder have also been included in their aid packages. Ahmed said that they hoped for a more secure environment to enable them to work more effectively in the future. Since the start of October, Samarrah has been the scene of intense fighting with regular US air strikes. Maj-Gen John Batiste, commander of the US army's 1st Infantry Division, told IRIN that the city was one of the centres of Iraqi resistance, where forces loyal to the former Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein had been based. Batiste added that nearly 250 militia men had been killed or captured in the city and that air strikes were very precise. But medical officials in the city claim that most of the deaths were women and children. There have been some 155 deaths and 240 people injured since the recent conflict started in Samarrah. RAMADI By 12 October, a military operation had begun in the city of Ramadi, 100 km west of Baghdad. Dr Alaa al-Aani of Ramadi General Hospital told IRIN that several rounds had hit the town last week. Al-Aani said the hospital was in desperate need of emergency materials such as cotton, syringes, pain killers, plasters, antibiotics and anaesthetics. He too explained that the aid received so far was not enough and that much more was needed. According to the hospital official, there had been more than 150 deaths and 260 people injured. These numbers, he claimed, did not include insurgents killed by the US troops. People in the city were worried with many afraid to leave their homes. Just a few shops were open, making it difficult to get hold of supplies, especially for the Muslim holy month of fasting (Ramadan) currently underway. "I cannot believe that we are going through this situation, begging for food and clean water. Where is all the oil of Iraq, where is the government?" Abbas Malaki, a civilian, asked IRIN. On the streets, women could be seen peeping through the front doors of their homes waiting for the truck carrying water to arrive. "They have their political differences [US troops and insurgents] and the innocent Iraqis are the ones who are paying for it. It should be stopped as soon as possible," Fatma Ebn-Zuhur, a civilian resident of Ramadi, told IRIN. Ramadi has a population of about 400,000 and is also home to several US military bases, including 1 Marine Division headquarters and the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, a unit that has suffered one of the highest casualty rates in the post-war period. OVERALL PICTURE All three cities have suffered a major blow on the humanitarian front, according to local people. The health system has severely deteriorated, resulting in many deaths due to a lack of medical supplies, doctors say. Shortages of water, electricity and fuel remain, according to aid agencies, and the quality of life for thousands of Iraqis is falling daily with no development or reconstruction starting in the affected areas. According to US officials, the latest raids on the cities were part of an intensive campaign against militants who are said to be using the Sunni Muslim support west of Baghdad as a base to plan suicide bombings and kidnappings. The government is trying to stamp its authority on all of Iraq before the January elections. "We have asked Fallujah residents to turn over Zarqawi and his group. If they don't do it, we are ready for major operations in Fallujah," said the interim Iraqi prime minister, Ayad Allawi, in a recent press conference.