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- Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
- Path: sparky!uunet!paladin.american.edu!gatech!ukma!mont!pencil.cs.missouri.edu!daemon
- From: Christic Institute <christic@igc.apc.org>
- Subject: Libya Informs UN OF Sanctions' Toll
- Message-ID: <1992Aug21.223229.17476@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
- Followup-To: alt.activism.d
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- Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 22:32:29 GMT
- Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
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- /* Written 11:01 pm Aug 20, 1992 by peacenet in cdp:pn.alerts */
- /* ---------- "Libya Informs UN OF Sanctions' Toll" ---------- */
- From: <peacenet>
- Subject: Libya Informs UN OF Sanctions' Toll
-
- From isolem Thu Aug 20 10:59:56 1992
- From: Ingrid Solem <isolem>
-
- The Libyan news agency, JANA, today revealed the contents of a letter
- written by Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Bishari to UN Secretary General
- Boutros-Ghali.
-
- In the letter, el-Bishari discloses that hundreds of Libyans have died as
- a result of the air embargo imposed on the country by the UN Security
- Council. The fatalities include 150 adults and children, as well as 100
- infants who required medical treatment not available in Libyan hospitals.
-
- Al-Bishari adds that there are at the present time 2,445 patients in need
- of specialilzed treatment abroad who are unable to receive it because their
- conditions are so serious that they could only be transported by air.
-
- Since the Security Council sanctions were put into effect on April 15,
- Libya has faced major difficulties in trying to maintain the standards of its
- health care system which had been generally acknowledged to be among the best
- in the Third World. Health care is free for all, and an extensive network of
- hospitals and clinics has been developed throughout the vast (680,000 sq.
- miles), sparsely populated country to serve the 2.8 million inhabitants.
-
- However, the UN air sanctions have made it impossible to fly in vaccines
- and fast-expiring drugs such as radiant iodine (used in treating endocrine
- disorders), medicines for treating cancer, hormones and antibiotics, all of
- which require speedy shipment and special storage conditions. Since the
- imposition of the UN embargo, tens of babies have died for lack of the
- measles vaccine. Before the sanctions, measles and other immunizable
- childhood diseases had been virtually eradicated from the country.
-
- Another tragedy is being recorded among low birth-weight infants. Prior to
- the sanctions, the neo-natal mortality rate was 26 per 1,000. Now it has
- risen to over 60 per 1,000. Many of the deaths are attributable to a lack of
- spare parts for infant resuscitators and respirators.
-
- Dr. Abdel-Meguid Abu-Rawy, a neo-natal specialist at Tripoli's el-Galaa
- Children's Hospital, commented recently, "Because of the air embargo, we are
- really in trouble... The U.N. is imposing a death sentence on children."
-
- Last week the UN Security Council decided to continue the air, arms and
- partial diplomatic sanctions against Libya for an additional four months.
- The United States and Great Britain are known to be pressing for the adoption
- of even harsher measures, including possibly a total economic embargo and/or
- a sea blockade.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Written by Ingrid Solem Langley Hill Friends Meeting McLean, Virginia
-