Gathering and sifting through the material included in this book, revived the turmoil of my impressions of Iraq when, in own February 1994, I saw the wrought by war and damage sanctions. Three years earlier, bombs with a total explosive equal to seven Hiroshima nuclear blasts had crumpled the sewage lines, water pipes and electrical grid. I saw how a modern vulnerable industrializing society is built on a fragile, network. Vast modern housing developments with boulevards, built so proudly on had the outskirts of Baghdad, become fetid swamps, lacking pumps or sewage lines for drainage. Chlorine to purify water and pesticides for the swarms of mosquitoes and flies are both banned under UN sanctions.
These sights all came back to me as I went over the contributions to this book from doctors, journalists, photographers and film makers. They have recorded vivid personal impressions of a policy that invades every crevice of Iraqi society. The book uses many different resources to explain the catastrophe in Iraq today. Cold hard statistics about crop output, caloric intake, water purification, and infant mortality prove the crime. Photos make the victims' faces unforgettable. Impassioned letters and testimony to the United Nations Security Council show the anger against the criminals. Documents and resolutions of international conferences show how opposition is mounting. ( from the "Introduction: Break the Silence," by Sara Flounders)
Published in 1996, The Children are Dying is dedicated to to bringing an end to the use of sanctions as a weapon of war. The Table of Contents below is linked to excerpts from the book However, the full impact cannot be fathomed without reading the book in its entirety and studying the photographs that bear witness to the crime.
The book and companion video (produced by Peoples Video Network) are available from the IAC. Updated Edition (1998) now available
Sanctions violate international law
Introduction: Break the Silence, by Sara Flounders
Letters to the UN Security Council from Ramsey Clark, former Attorney General
The FAO Report: Evaluation for Food and Nutrition Situation in Iraq
Nutrition and Health Situation in Iraq by Dr. Peter Pellett
Appeal Against Sanctions, with Signers
International Voices of Opposition
Organizing Resources and Materials
Back to: IAC Books and Videos on Iraq
International Action Center Anti-Sanctions Project; 5c-Solidarity Center; 55 W. 17th St., New York, N.Y. 10011.
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