relief

Voicing concerns, UN relief agencies plea for urgent access to Iraqi civilians

28 March 2003
Expressing increasing concern over the health and safety of the civilian population in Iraq, particularly in the southern city of Basra, United Nations aid agencies today appealed to all sides for access to bring in humanitarian relief.

Iraq: Security Council adopts adjustments to UN's Oil-for-Food programme

28 March 2003
The Security Council today unanimously approved a resolution adjusting the suspended Oil-for-Food programme to give United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan more authority to administer the operation for the next 45 days.

Local UN staff still working in Iraq to bring relief to civilian population

27 March 2003
United Nations relief agencies reported today that their 3,400 local staff in Iraq were doing all they could to bring relief to the civilian population and perform their functions despite the withdrawal of international personnel on the eve of hostilities.
Kofi Annan

Annan ‘increasingly concerned’ by civilian casualties in Iraq

26 March 2003
Secretary-General Kofi Annan today voiced increasing concern over civilian casualties of the conflict in Iraq, and met with his top humanitarian officials to discuss contingency plans for United Nations relief agencies to return to the country as soon as the military action permits.

UN relief agencies express deep concern at reported bombing of Baghdad market

26 March 2003
United Nations humanitarian organizations expressed deep concern today over reports that an air strike on Baghdad resulted in heavy casualties at a civilian market.

Heads of UN agencies to discuss aid to Iraq amid growing concern over Basra

25 March 2003
As Secretary-General Kofi Annan prepared to chair a top-level meeting of United Nations relief agencies in New York tomorrow on the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, UN spokesmen for the organizations in the region expressed growing alarm today for the southern city of Basra, where the 1.7 million residents have been without full water supplies for four days.
Security Council Presideent Traoré speaks to the press

Security Council to hold first open debate on Iraq since outbreak of hostilities

25 March 2003
The United Nations Security Council will hold on Wednesday its first open debate on Iraq since hostilities broke out and will also seek to reach a consensus on providing humanitarian assistance to the country since the suspension of the UN Oil-for-Food Programme, which allows Baghdad to use part of its petroleum sales to buy relief supplies.
Kofi Annan meets with Dr. Condoleezza Rice

Annan, Condoleezza Rice hold talks on Iraq and humanitarian situation

25 March 2003
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan met today with United States National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to discuss the situation in Iraq, including the humanitarian conditions and the requirements for providing assistance to the Iraqi people.
Kofi Annan speaks to press

UN doing 'whatever it can' to bring aid to Iraqi people, Annan says

24 March 2003
Pledging again that the United Nations will do whatever it can to aid the Iraqi people, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called for urgent measures to restore water and electricity to Basra following reports that the southern city may face a humanitarian disaster and urged the parties to the Iraqi conflict to treat prisoners of war humanely.

Iraq: UN agencies scramble to bring relief, with special concern over Basra

24 March 2003
Local employees of United Nations relief agencies fanned out inside Iraq and around its borders today to bring aid to the civilian population, with particular concern focused on the country's second city, Basra, where lack of water has raised the spectre of disease for its 1.7 millions residents, especially 100,000 children under the age of five.