HC Deb 07 March 2003 vol 400 cc1240-1W
John Barrett

(1) Asked the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact which military attacks on electricity stations would have on the humanitarian situation in Iraq; [100884]

(2) what assessment she has made of the impact which military attacks on (a) roads, (b) railways, (c) bridges and (d) sea ports would have on the delivery of humanitarian relief to Iraq. [100883]

Clare Short

The people of Iraq are already in a fragile humanitarian situation. After years of misrule they are highly dependent on aid under the UN Oil For Food programme, which relies on an efficient distribution network and transport infrastructure. Many are also reliant on electrically pumped water and sanitation systems, especially those in urban areas. In the event of military action, the greater the damage and the longer the disruption to such infrastructure, the greater will be the humanitarian consequences. My Department has been holding close discussions with the Ministry of Defence and US Government about planning to minimise the humanitarian impact of any military action in Iraq. Following any such action, a key priority would then be to repair any critical infrastructure which has been damaged as quickly as possible.

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