DATE=2/16/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=IRAQ SANCTIONS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259213
BYLINE=LISA BRYANT
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Another top United Nations humanitarian
official in Iraq has resigned amid mounting disagreement
about the impact of economic sanctions on Baghdad.
From Cairo, Lisa Bryant reports that the latest
resignation was submitted by the local representative
of the World Food Program, or W-F-P.
TEXT: The United Nations has confirmed the
resignation of Jutta Burghardt, the Iraq
representative for the World Food Program. The agency
said Ms. Burghart, who is German, was leaving for
personal reasons, and would resume working for her
government.
But the W-F-P official told news agencies Wednesday
that she had resigned because she found a U-N
resolution to speed up humanitarian assistance
unworkable. The resolution aims to ease sanctions if
Iraq lets arms monitors return to Baghdad - a proposal
that so far Baghdad has ruled out. And Ms. Burghardt
said it would be impossible for the W-F-P to buy food
in local markets as the new resolution envisions.
News of Ms. Burghardt's departure comes just days
after another German U-N official - the organization's
top humanitarian coordinator in Baghdad - resigned in
protest over United Nations economic sanctions on
Iraq.
The aid coordinator, Hans Von Sponeck, called the
impact of the economic sanctions on ordinary Iraqis a
tragedy.
He also said the United Nation's oil-for-food program
was not meeting what he considered to be people's
minimum requirements. That program allows Baghdad to
sell more than five-billion dollars worth of oil every
six months in return for food, medicine and other
supplies.
On Tuesday, Ms. Burghardt said she fully supported Mr.
Von Sponeck's conclusion about the humanitarian impact
of the sanctions. In 1998, Mr. Von Sponeck's
predecessor, Dennis Halliday, also resigned after
disagreeing with the program.
Key U-N agencies and member countries are split over
the impact of the sanctions. /// Opt /// The United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says the oil-for-food
swap has not helped lower infant and child mortality
rates, which UNICEF says have doubled in some areas
since 1989. U-N Security Council members France,
Russia and China also support an early easing of
sanctions. /// End Opt ///
The U-S and Britain have been strong supporters of the
sanctions, particularly because of Baghdad's
continuing refusal to allow U-N arms inspectors to
return to Iraq. /// Opt /// U-S State Department
spokesman James Rubin said Mr. Von Sponeck and Ms.
Burghardt should not act as self-appointed spokesmen
for the U-N Security Council. /// End Opt ///
(SIGNED)
NEB/LB/GE/ENE/JP
16-Feb-2000 10:49 AM EDT (16-Feb-2000 1549 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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