BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 11 (United Press International) -- Widespread looting and chaos has
become a common sight in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities after falling to coalition forces
following the collapse of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's Baath Party regime.
The state of lawlessness has triggered fears, anger and distress among Iraqi residents,
many of whom expressed their anger on coalition forces who appear to be giving a free hand
to the looting.
Mosul in northern Iraq was captured Friday by the Kurdish Peshmerga guerrillas following
the surrender of Iraqi forces in the city. Hundreds of people, including children, took to
the streets, storming public institutions, Baath Party offices, banks, universities and
even hospitals.
U.S. and British forces in Iraq have been accused of breaching the Geneva Conventions by
failing to protect hospitals in Baghdad from looters, the United Nations has claimed.
The U.N. office of the humanitarian coordinator for Iraq said one of Baghdad's biggest
hospitals, al-Kindi, had been ransacked and access to medical centers was almost impossible
because of the "breakdown of law and order."
Britain's international development secretary, Clare Short, called on the military to make
a "massively bigger effort" to end looting and chaos in Iraq.
........
"Most of those who are stealing are gunmen, sparing no public institutions or even
hospitals and universities," he said. "How would anyone dare to resist or stop them?"
.......
In Baghdad, reports indicated that merchants and shop owners in the central district opened
fire at looters to try prevent them from ransacking their businesses. Some 25 people were
injured in looting clashes.
The chaos also prompted patients and medical staff to evacuate al-Kindi hospital in Baghdad
after it became the target of looters.
An official of the International Committee of the Red Cross which visited al-Kindi hospital
described the abandoned facility as "catastrophic."
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ON THE SCENE: HOSPITAL CRISES
CBS ~~ Walk into any Baghdad hospital and the depravity is almost as consuming as the scent of death. Sterile is an unknown word here and increasingly, so is a medical degree.
Doctor Edison Norman is down to just two residents, one surgeon and no nurses. All of them fled out of fear and so far, none have returned out of duty. It's this desperate all across the city and all across the country, but that's not the worst of it.
"This is the second day our hospital doesn't have any anesthetic," says Dr. Norman.
They also have no power, no water, but lots of patients.
More than a hundred today alone came to the hospital, including one man injured not from coalition bombs or bullets, but from looting by his own people. There wasn't even a bed to give him.
That is not the case however for every hospital. One of Baghdad's largest is completely empty because of looting. Over the course of two days, ordinary Iraqis came in and took whatever they could, all the way down to the mattresses on the gurney.
And worse, doctors have now been replaced by an armed militia. Religious volunteers are trying to fill a need and they blame the U.S. for neglect.
"The most important and the biggest power in the whole world can't protect a little hospital? I don't understand it," says volunteer H.D. Salman.
Most militiamen are Shiite Muslims who have been hoping to edge their politics into Saddam Hussein's power base for years. Fundamentalists have been using this tactic elsewhere in the Middle East for decades, and what better place to start than healing the wounds of the would-be faithful.
"I don't know anything about hospital work but I come here only because I want to protect this hospital," says Salman.
The U.S. isn't alone in the race for hearts and minds here. But with so many trying so desperately to reach out, the first hands to take it may be the ones who win.
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INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS DAILY BULLETIN
BAGHDAD (11 April)
General situation
For the second day running, Baghdad was the scene of widespread ransacking and looting. Bursts of gunfire were sometimes heard in the distance. Many residential streets were blocked with stones, tree branches or abandoned pieces of furniture to prevent cars from entering. Terrified residents barricaded themselves inside their homes, too frightened to venture outside or consider returning to work.
Medical and surgical care
The medical system of Baghdad had virtually collapsed, totally disrupted by the insecurity and the looting.
Medical City complex: There are four hospitals in this complex, which until recently was the hospital showpiece in Baghdad with 1,400 beds for war-wounded and all medical specializations available.
On 8 April, ambulances were arriving at the complex one after another and hundreds of patients were admitted. The ICRC medical coordinator had visited the triage and emergency centre, which could handle 100 patients at any one time, and found that that the complex was a perfect example of mass casualty management.
On 11 April, it was in total chaos. Part of it had been looted before the protection of the Coalition forces was put in place. The triage and emergency units were completely disorganized. Because
ambulances were being looted throughout the city, there was no ambulance service. No new
patients were being admitted. Only a few surgeons and one or two nurses were present in the hospitals, each with 600 beds. There were no administrative, cleaning or kitchen staff. And there were still 300 patients to care for.
First and foremost, the hospital complex needs security so that, hopefully, medical and support staff can return to work and the transport of patients be resumed. Then electricity and water supplies must urgently be restored and food and other supplies brought in.
Al Kindi hospital: On 8 April the hospital, like Medical City, was working efficiently, receiving many war-wounded and capably managing mass casualties. On 11h April it, too, was in total chaos after being attacked and looted by armed people. There was only one medical doctor present and no surgeons. Some patients were found lying on the floor. Medical and other supplies were scattered all over the place.
Ibn Nafis hospital was given a first aid kit on 11 April, as it was still receiving some patients, and 50 body bags.
Water and sanitation
The widespread vandalism of hospitals and some water supply systems, in addition to the previous damage and shortages resulting from military operations, has made it even harder for health and water professionals to keep essential public services running. With continued power cuts for more than a week throughout the capital, and the direct or indirect impact of vandalism, new critical needs have emerged. The Baghdad water authorities (BWA) have reported the loss of all their assets and warehouse materials, including all spare parts, vehicles and other equipment. On 11 April, only two technicians and one contractor showed up at the delegation, as the others stayed at home to protect their property from looters. Nevertheless, the ICRC team resumed their general needs assessments and emergency engineering work at the Medical City hospital complex.
Major water treatment plants are operational at about 40-50% of their normal capacity, but thanks to low demand (no demand from industry, etc.) this may be enough for the time being to cover the Baghdad inhabitants' basic needs if the plants are not vandalized. However, the Rasafa area in Baghdad remains a prime concern, since it is no longer supplied with tap water. Most tankers of the water transport contractors hired by the ICRC to serve that and other areas have been looted and most of the water bladder tanks and distribution ramps installed earlier by the ICRC are gone. The ICRC team made a rapid assessment of the Qana water pumping station supplying that part of the city, and one priority will now be to get it and the connected water treatment works back into operation to bring clean water back to Rasafa.
An important meeting was held at the ICRC delegation with the three most senior BWA staff and the US civil affairs coordinators to discuss the present water and power situation in Baghdad and how BWA professionals can be brought in to restore essential water services in the days ahead. The ICRC played a key role in making this first contact possible. The BWA and the US military agreed on priority action to be taken, especially the immediate military protection of key water treatment works. As a direct result of this meeting, one of the largest waterworks in Baghdad, Saba-Nissan, has been protected since 11 April by US forces and repair and maintenance work will be resumed immediately, together with Baghdad water authority technicians. Consequently, for most parts of Baghdad the risk of water shortages should be avoided.
The meeting also agreed on a list of main water installations to be protected by US forces within the next few days. Further measures will be discussed and implemented shortly for the city of Baghdad and the Baghdad governorate.
Family links
Attempts to contact Iraqi officials to press for information on the whereabouts of the Coalition POWs have hitherto failed.
Over the past three days, 365 messages from families in Baghdad have been faxed to ICRC Geneva for transmission to relatives abroad and the Baghdad delegation arranged for 109 phone calls between family members who had had no news for days or weeks. This important service continues to be provided for families who wish to reassure relatives with whom they are no longer able to communicate.
The two missing members of MSF, two missing members of Islamic Relief, a Japanese journalist and two translators (from Jordan and Pakistan) were released after many days held in a Baghdad jail. They were able to reach the ICRC delegation by their own means.
BASRA (11 April)
General situation
The security situation in Basra has improved marginally. Where possible, UK forces provide security for key facilities.
The ICRC is facilitating contacts between UK forces and Iraqi administrative and technical staff, with a view to restarting some basic civilian administrative and other services.
Three additional delegates arrived in Basra from Kuwait to supplement the team. There are now 7 expatriate staff working there alongside a team of Iraqi staff
Assistance
Food and blankets were delivered to 15 inhabitants of an old people's home-cum-orphanage housing 12 elderly people and 3 orphans, which had been looted on 6 April.
Water and power supplies
Repair work was completed on Bradayia water treatment plant and on high tension lines to restart the main power generating plant in Basra. However, the plants could not be put into operation before the installation of new batteries (planned for the same evening by the Iraqi electrical department).
ERBIL (11 April)
Protection
The ICRC visited one prisoner of war and three civilian internees in a US camp in Erbil governorate. An additional 48 prisoners arrived at the same camp late in the afternoon. The ICRC planned to return to the camp on 12 April.
Assistance to displaced persons
Following an assessment in the Delezha area of the Suleymanieh governorate on 10 April, non-food assistance was provided to 22 families (113 persons).
(Please see
http://www.familylinks.icrc.org for information on this programme).
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