TITLE: S. Africa to Fly Medical Aid to Iraq in February

AUTHOR:

PUB: Reuters

DATE: February 9, 2001

South Africa said on Friday it would fly medical aid to Iraq later in February to alleviate suffering caused by more than a decade of United Nations trade sanctions on its people. Aziz Pahad, South Africa's deputy foreign affairs minister, said his government and some 30 aid organisations had collected medical supplies and equipment and baby food formula for Iraqis affected by the sanctions. "The purpose of the humanitarian flight is to deliver assistance to that country in the light of the catastrophic humanitarian situation prevailing following the...10-year-old comprehensive and total sanctions on Iraq," Pahad said. The flight will leave South Africa on February 22. There were no details on the value of the shipment. Pahad said in a statement there was growing international condemnation of the sanctions and South Africa supported efforts to find a solution to the impasse between Iraq and the United Nations. The United Nations imposed sanctions on Iraq after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, but allows Baghdad to buy humanitarian supplies under the oil-for-food programme which began at the end of 1996. Baghdad rejected a U.N. resolution adopted in December 1999 which called for the suspension of sanctions if Iraq allowed U.N. weapons inspectors to return to the country. Iraq has said it will allow U.N. monitoring of its weapons only after trade sanctions have been lifted and if the United Nations monitors the weapons of all countries in the region, including Israel. END top