Seanad debates

Wednesday, 2 April 2003

Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq: Statements.

 

The infant mortality rate, that is, the death rate per 1,000 live births, was 100 in 1997; that is one in ten children. The mortality rate for children under five years of age per 1,000 was 120. Before 1990, the figures were about half that level and it was expected that by 1997 the infant mortality rate in Iraq would be about 37 per 1,000 live births. Instead it has trebled. The Iranian figures were always much worse than those in Iraq. The Iranian infant mortality rate in 1997 was down to 38 and by 2000 it was down to 33. The Iranians have improved enormously, even though they are in the same part of the world. The Iranian figures were always worse so one can see how seriously affected the civilian Iraqi population has been by the sanctions. We all tried to do something, but we did not do enough. There is no more or less to it than that.

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