§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has made any emergency preparations to assist the Iraqi medical authorities after the end of hostilities in combating the epidemic of water pollution diseases in Iraqi cities arising from the destruction of water supply and sewage systems.
§ Mr. DorrellNo. We understand that a joint WHO/UNICEF mission visited Baghdad earlier this month to deliver emergency medical supplies and to assess the essential health needs of the civilian population. Additionally, the International Red Cross Committee has identified serious shortages of drinking water and after notifying the UN Sanctions Committee, dispatched water purification supplies to Baghdad. It is too soon to say what further international support the Iraqi medical authorities might require once hostilities have ended and what contribution, if any, the United Kingdom might make to such an initiative.