IRAQ: RED CROSS OFFICIAL SAYS THAT THERE ARE ALMOST 2 MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT WATER IN BASRA
Record ID:
647288
IRAQ: RED CROSS OFFICIAL SAYS THAT THERE ARE ALMOST 2 MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT WATER IN BASRA
- Title: IRAQ: RED CROSS OFFICIAL SAYS THAT THERE ARE ALMOST 2 MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT WATER IN BASRA
- Date: 26th March 2003
- Summary: (W4) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MARCH 26, 2003) (REUTERS - NO ACCESS CNN) 1. MV: EXTERIOR OF RED CROSS BUILDING 0.05 2. CU: RED CROSS FLAG ON BUILDING 0.09 3. SV: RONALD BENJAMIN, RED CROSS OFFICIAL SITTING AT DESK 0.14 4. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) RONALD BENJAMIN, RED CROSS OFFICIAL SAYING: "Our main concern around Basra city is that because the high voltage power lines were disrupted by the fighting on Friday afternoon at 5 o'clock, the city and the whole region have been deprived of electrical power ever since and as a consequence the main water pumping station on the outskirts of the city is no longer operating which means that 1.9 million people are now left without drinking water." 0.48 5. CU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) BENJAMIN SAYING: "We have been hearing news about international reports of aids that would be on the way to Southern Iraq. Now it's practically six days into the war we know that people are surviving on the food that they had bought prior to the conflict, we also know that a large percentage of the population only survive thanks to the food rations that were distributed under the 'Oil for food' agreement. This cannot go on for very long even if they had worked additional rations in the past month but for the poorest segment of the population it is clear that they cannot go on for very long." 1.34 6. WIDE OF BENJAMIN BEING INTERVIEWED 1.37 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) BENJAMIN SAYING: "The figures that have been published by hospital sources for Baghdad in the past week were correct. we have seen that there is this number of casualties amongst them some women and some children.we have seen them and we can confirm the figures that were put out for Baghdad hospitals." 2.01 8. WIDE OF INTERVIEWED 2.05 9. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BENJAMIN SAYING: "People in Basra and neighbouring villages have not had electricity since Friday at 5 o'clock. Electricity was cut in Basra as a result of the shelling. The main water treatment station in Basra doesn't work anymore because of the electricity cut. 1,900,000 people are now living without drinking water." 3.01 10. VARIOUS OF RED CROSS SUPPLIES IN WAREHOUSE (11 SHOTS) 4.03 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 10th April 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA4SS68QRBWT7KDMAGGM2YWXNT
- Story Text: A Red Cross official has said that there are almost two
million people without water in the southern Iraqi city of
Basra area because an electricity station was hit last Friday.
Speaking in Baghdad on Wednesday (March 26) Red Cross
official Ronald Benjamin said that "high voltage power lines
were disrupted by the fighting on Friday afternoon at 5
o'clock. The city and the whole region have been deprived of
electrical power ever since and as a consequence the main
water pumping station on the outskirts of the city is no
longer operating which means that 1.9 million people are now
left without drinking water."
But further south, the port city of Umm Qasr, now under
the control of the invading forces, has also been left without
water supplies or electricity. Local residents say the water
plant was damaged during the thunderous ground assault.
Not true, say U.S. and British forces. They say water
feeding the plant comes from further north near the city of
Basra, and the taps have been closed under the orders of
President Saddam Hussein.
Major John Taylor, part of a team from the British Royal
Engineers specialising in civil infrastructure said that the
water plant had no military damage at all, not even a single
bullet hole. He said that as soon as Umm Qasr was invaded
"Basra cut the supplies."
U.S. and British forces say they will get water and
electricity supplies running as soon as they can, but are
reluctant to say when.
Residents of both Umm Qasr and Basra say stocks of food
are running low and the market is empty.
The commander of U.S. and British troops in the area,
Brigadier Jim Dutton of the British 3rd Commando Brigade, said
he hoped a ship carrying humanitarian supplies would be able
to dock in Umm Qasr within the next 48 hours now that the city
had been declared "safe and open".
The port itself suffered very little damage in the
fighting, he said, while U.S. and British forces were working
to ensure the waterway leading from the Gulf was free of
mines.
British officials said a ship carrying vital aid for
southern Iraq would arrive on Wednesday (March 26). They said
the 'Sir Galahad' would unload 231 tonnes of food, medicine,
blankets and fresh water, after British and U.S. minesweepers
cleared a path for it through the northern Gulf.
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