March 23

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS DAILY BULLETIN

In BAGHDAD: According to hospital sources, 32 newly injured patients and 1 dead person arrived in Yarmouk Hospital and two newly injured people were checked in to Ibn Al-Nafis Hospital. No new arrivals of injured patients were reported in Al-Kindi Hospital.
· Shops and businesses were largely closed; traffic was sparse, some people were trying to go out despite the fear of air raids. Despite intermittent bombardments, the ICRC managed to move around the city to carry out activities.
· The ICRC has taken measures to increase water supply to parts of Baghdad that are not or only partially connected to the water network. For example, on 23 March 190 cubic metres of drinking water were supplied to 31 water distribution stations installed by the ICRC in the northern Rusafa bank area.)

Basra
· Situation described as tense and difficult.
· The ICRC has no current figures on casualties.
· The total electricity blackout caused by the destruction of high-voltage cables in the hostilities continues.
· Following a temporary total breakdown, 40% of the population now have access to water thanks to emergency measures taken on 22 March by the ICRC and local engineers. However, this water is not of sufficiently good quality to be used in the long term.
· The ICRC is continuing to speak to both sides to gain access to Wafa Al-Quid water station in order to evaluate the situation and, if possible, resume operations using back-up generators that it recently overhauled. ·
For the time being, hospitals appear be functioning and to have sufficient staff, equipment and materials.

Erbil, northern Iraq
· The ICRC transported one wounded Australian journalist and the mortal remains of another from the Kurdish-controlled area to the Iranian border, where they were handed over to the Australian consul in Iran.
· Otherwise, the situation is described as calm. Several hundreds of thousands of people have probably left their homes. However, ICRC staff and local authorities report that only several thousand of them are in a vulnerable condition.