Thursday, September 22, 2005

Officials: Iraq Health Sector in Crisis

Iraqis lack safe drinking water and must cope with diseases such as cholera and pollution from asphalt factories, dust storms and oil pipeline explosions.
Iraq's deputy environment minister, Muthanna al-Omar, said his ministry has little money to tackle environmental problems that have been worsened by years of neglect and U.N. during Saddam Hussein's rule.
Foreign money is starting to flow into Iraq's environmental and health sector, but officials say they need more aid and better coordination between international bodies, Iraqi authorities and leaders of Shiite and Sunni Muslim communities.
...The United Nations World Food Program says it needs $14 million to buy food for Iraq's school health program.
The world body's environmental body also wants $10 million to "clean depleted uranium" and improve water purification for hospital systems, al-Jasseer added.

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