By Jennifer Sym, PA News
SOURCE: Scotsman.com, 5/12/04
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Human rights campaigners are to set up a charity to help Iraqi children cope with the “humanitarian catastrophe” resulting from war and occupation.

The group, Child Victims of War, say living conditions in Iraq are now worse than under Saddam Hussein, with the detention of youngsters, abuse of rights and devastating social problems.

And just as Agent Orange wreaked havoc on children in the Vietnam War, they say youngsters are increasingly suffering from leukaemia and other cancers and are being born with deformities.

They believe the illnesses are caused by depleted uranium used in coalition anti-tank weapons in both Gulf wars.

The group say the abnormalities include missing limbs, no eyes and stillbirths.

It has now applied to the Charities Commission for charitable status, and plans to raise funds to open an office in Iraq to monitor abuses, counsel those who have been detained, help train human rights groups and provide medical help to young victims of war.

Group director Jo Baker, visited Iraq last year and again last month. She said at the press launch of the group at the House of Commons today: “I have been to Iraq under Saddam and sanctions – most people know how bad things were – but what has happened this year has plunged Iraq into a plight which is actually far, far worse.”

She said most Iraqis were unemployed, living on food rations, malnutrition was worse than before the war, there was little electricity supply, poor telecommunications, and sanitation problems with consequent stomach problems.

For children who do go to school – and a Christian Aid survey showed two-thirds of poor youngsters did not – they are “so malnourished they can’t concentrate”.

She said: “Every child has some level of psychological trauma. We have discovered not one single batch of medicines have arrived in any hospital since occupation except those getting through carried by NGOs (non-governmental organisations).

“People are very, very frightened; if anyone is released from detention they are always made to swear they won’t say what happened to them.”

She added: “I am not an apologist for Saddam but I have spoken to people saying they suffered terribly and they are in tears saying ‘I wish he was back’.

“If it is worse than sanctions and Saddam then we are really talking about a humanitarian catastrophe.”

Fellow director, barrister Dr Abdul Haq Al-Ani, said there was a “notorious concentration camp” in Umm Qasar.

He said the UK was “aiding and abetting” a crime by going to war with the US and he had lodged three judicial review applications against Tony Blair and the Cabinet.

Dr Caroline Lucas MEP, who has visited Iraq, said claiming the war was prompted by humanitarian reasons was a “cruel joke” and DU was leaving a deadly legacy for future generations.

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