Water piped into S. Iraq
Most aid still blocked
British troops began pumping water to thirsty southern Iraq yesterday in a rare boost for civilians bereft of help from the world's key aid agencies during a US-led invasion of the country.
Although, the UN food aid agency made its biggest purchase for a humanitarian operation in 10 years, civilian aid workers in Kuwait say they are blocked from entering neighbouring Iraq to address shortages of food, water and medicines because neither side in the war have given guarantees of safe passage.
Officials of UN agencies and non-governmental charities welcomed the opening of the cross-border pipeline from Kuwait by the British Royal Engineers. But they said it could not be a substitute for a fully-fledged aid effort to quickly restore the country's dilapidated water and sanitation system.
"The need for clean water in southern Iraq is urgent and the lack of it is a significant health hazard for children," said Geoffrey Keele of the UN Children's Fund.
At the border, Kuwaiti humanitarian official Ali al-Mumin presided over a ceremony at which water was piped into Iraqi trucks from 20-centimetre diameter heavy plastic pipe.
"At the moment this is the only guaranteed potable water supply in southern Iraq," said Major Hugh Ward.
Ward said the pipe would supply two million litres a day and added that the operation estimated that consumption would run at about seven litres per person a day - indicating the flow will be sufficient for more than a quarter of a million people.
The water would only be trucked to areas under secure US or British control. Around 100,000 people live in such areas, which include Umm Qasr and the nearby town of Umm Khayya.
The British military, which has the main responsibility for operations around the southern city of Basra, says that most sewage plants in Iraq are defective or not operating at all, meaning that the main rivers act as open sewers.
Since the water treatment plants take their water from rivers, the piped water system is producing water of very dubious quality, Major General Albert Whitley said on Sunday.
Most UN and private aid agencies are marooned in Kuwait while UN security experts complete inspection visits to the south to decide whether it is safe for aid workers to enter.