- News>
- World
Annan calls for action to restore basic amenities in Basra
United Nations, March 25: Warning that Basra in southern Iraq, now witnessing heavy fighting, is facing a humanitarian disaster, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for urgent measures to prevent that from happening.
United Nations, March 25: Warning that Basra in southern Iraq, now witnessing heavy fighting, is facing a humanitarian disaster, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for urgent measures to prevent that from happening.
He told reporters that the international committee of the Red Cross had said that Basra, a city of 1.2 million people, "may be facing a humanitarian disaster."
"A city of that size cannot afford to go without electricity or water for long." That also affects sanitation. Therefore, "urgent measures should be taken to restore electricity and water," he told reporters. "Urgent measures should be taken to restore water and electricity," he said.
On the Prisoners of War issue, Annan urged both Iraq and the US to treat prisoners humanely and in accordance with international law. "Both sides have responsibility to ensure that." He told reporters.
With the war in Iraq being covered in real time by television networks, questions have arisen as to treatment of Prisoners-of-War especially as they are being shown on television around the world.
The US warned Iraq that it was violating the Geneva convention when it showed the five Americans captured by its forces on the television and asked them some questions.
The convention prevents, among other things, humiliation of the prisoners or parading them.
But then the images of surrendering Iraqis are also being carried by the American television networks. However, some western analysts say this has happened because of a large number of reporters covering the war and many of them are embedded with the forces.
Bureau Report
"A city of that size cannot afford to go without electricity or water for long." That also affects sanitation. Therefore, "urgent measures should be taken to restore electricity and water," he told reporters. "Urgent measures should be taken to restore water and electricity," he said.
On the Prisoners of War issue, Annan urged both Iraq and the US to treat prisoners humanely and in accordance with international law. "Both sides have responsibility to ensure that." He told reporters.
With the war in Iraq being covered in real time by television networks, questions have arisen as to treatment of Prisoners-of-War especially as they are being shown on television around the world.
The US warned Iraq that it was violating the Geneva convention when it showed the five Americans captured by its forces on the television and asked them some questions.
The convention prevents, among other things, humiliation of the prisoners or parading them.
But then the images of surrendering Iraqis are also being carried by the American television networks. However, some western analysts say this has happened because of a large number of reporters covering the war and many of them are embedded with the forces.
Bureau Report