Appeal from "Doctors for Iraq"
Jo Wilding has circulated the appeal below. She writes that it is "from Doctors for Iraq, a group which I trust...
... This is the same kind of attack as that on Falluja and it's desperately important that people take some kind of action, whatever you can, be it contacting UK and US politicians and demanding a stop to it or getting out on the streets annd letting people know it's happening and demonstrating against it or getting stuff into the media, because so far this isn't even news".
US/ Iraqi forces have launched a new military operation in Al Qaim city, near the border of Iraq and Syria.People inside the city have been put under military curfew. The Army has warned civilians against leaving their homes and have announced that they will enter and search houses. The army has announced that all shops must remain closed and no ambulances are allowed inside the city. Check points have been established inside and outside the city.
US military aircraft are reported to be firing missiles in Al Qaim. Many explosions have been heard in different districts of the city. There are reports of civilians being killed and many others wounded but at this stage numbers of fatalities and casualties are unknown. Doctors For Iraq is concerned about the detention of unspecified civilians by US/ Iraqi forces during this military operation.
Similar detentions have been reported in previous military attacks in the city and surrounding areas.
The only hospital in the city is desperately lacking medicines and has requested for basic medicines and surgical equipment to be delivered to the hospital immediately so that doctors can treat the injured and sick.
Doctors for Iraq is calling for all parties to conflict to respect the Geneva Convention and ensure that civilians have a safe passage to areas outside of the conflict zone and civilians are provided with shelter, medicine and food.
Doctors for Iraq is calling for humanitarian workers and ambulances to be given free access to the areas under attack.
Doctors for Iraq is calling on humanitarian organisations to provide basic medicines and surgical kits for the hospital.
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