War spells disaster for Iraqis, UN warns

A US-led war against Iraq could trigger "a humanitarian emergency of exceptional scale and magnitude", according to confidential United Nations planning documents.

They warn that 30 per cent of Iraqi children under the age of five could die from malnutrition and that attacks on electricity and transportation would severely hamper UN efforts to help those affected.

"The collapse of services in Iraq could lead to a humanitarian emergency of proportions well beyond the capacity of UN and other aid organisations," say the documents. "The effects of over 12 years of sanctions, preceded by war, have considerably increased the vulnerability of the population," they state.

The documents have come to light through the Centre for Economic and Social Rights (CESR). Roger Normand of the CESR said staff in Iraq obtained them from UN experts who "believe the humanitarian impact of war is of global concern and should be discussed openly".

The CESR has issued its own report calling on the Security Council to consider the fate of supplies provided through the UN oil-for-food programme and health systems in areas occupied by military forces, before attacking Iraq.