PHA-Exchange> FW: NEW HEALTH/ HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AS US FORCES ATTACK AL QAIM CITY, IRAQ

Sat Aug 27 02:03:32 PDT 2005

Situation in Iraq : An update and press release from Dr. Salam. Dr.
Salam attended PHA 2.

-----Original Message-----
From: Dr.Salam [mailto:salam.obaidi at gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2005 4:03 AM
To: press.officer at doctorsforiraq.org
Subject: RE: NEW HEALTH/ HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AS US FORCES ATTACK AL QAIM
CITY, IRAQ

For immediate release: 27/8/2005
******DOCTORS FOR IRAQ URGENT PRESS RELEASE***** 

US/IRAQI MILITARY LAUNCHES NEW ATTACK ON THE CITY OF Al QAIM, WESTERN
IRAQ. 

Reports are coming in of a new military attack launched in the last few
hours in the western city of Al Qaim, western Iraq. Al Qaim, situated
between the Syrian and Iraqi border has an estimated population of
150,000 people including the surrounding villages and towns.

US/ Iraqi forces have attacked Al Qaim several times in the past few
months; the health and humanitarian situation inside the city and
surrounding areas is desperate. The main hospital in the area is also
under siege and all entrances to the city have been closed off. 

>From early this morning military aircraft have been bombing the area and
firing missiles on the city. 

Eyewitness say  buildings were bombed heavily in the city with people
inside- it is unclear who was inside the building and how many people
are buried under the rubble of the destroyed buildings 

One eyewitness reports that a military missile shell has killed a man in
his neighbourhood. The dead man's family tried to carry him to hospital
but couldn't because of shooting from the US/ Iraqi military. The dead
man's family have placed his body in the family refrigerator until they
can access a hospital.

The city is under curfew and there are reports of many injured people.
Civilians are trapped in their homes and medical teams cannot access the
city. 

Reports are coming in of civilians trying to flee the siege areas, but
find themselves trapped inside as the military attack continues. 

Fighting has broken out between the military forces and armed groups in
the areas. 

Doctors for Iraq is calling on the immediate end of violence in the area
so that doctors and medical staff can treat the injured and begin urgent
relief in the city and surrounding areas.

Doctors for Iraq is calling for international human rights organisations
to carry out an immediate investigation into the military attacks and
killing of civilians.

Ends

for more information contact Dr. Salam Ismael :
<mailto:salam.obaidi at doctorsforiraq.org> salam.obaidi at doctorsforiraq.org

                                             Aisha Ismael at :
<mailto:press.officer at doctorsforiraq.org>
press.officer at doctorsforiraq.org 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20050827/f703ea99/attachment-0001.html>