Mounting Fears of Outbreak of Disease Reported
ROME, MARCH 27, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Caritas-Iraq said it sent supplies of medicines and first-aid kits from its centers in Baghdad to Basra in response to an appeal for help from Archbishop Gibrael Kassab.
Archbishop Kassab made the appeal Wednesday with mounting fears in Basra of an outbreak of disease because of the breakdown in the electricity supply. Electricity is vital to run Iraq's water purification plants as well as its water sewage treatment.
Some 60% of the people of the city are now being forced to drink water from the rivers which are contaminated with sewage. UNICEF has warned that up to 100,000 children under the age of 5 could be at serious risk of disease.
Caritas-Iraq in a statement said it also a consignment of chlorine tablets to Basra from Jordan.
There are enough chlorine tablets to clean 1.5 million liters of water. This would be enough water to meet the needs of 100,000 people for one day. A further consignment of tablets - enough to provide 6 million liters of clean water - will be sent from Jordan to Baghdad and distributed from there to Caritas-Iraq's network of 14 centers.
The bishops of Jordan have agreed that in the case of a refugee influx from Iraq, they will provide refuge in Church buildings to 2,000 refugees. Caritas-Jordan is the only non-governmental organization in the country providing assistance to the 300,000 Iraqi refugees who already live in Jordan, Caritas reported.
Caritas-Iraq is an independent Catholic group which has worked in Iraq since 1992.
ZENIT Daily dispatch - The World Seen from Rome
27. mars 2003