VOICES ON IRAQ

Guardian: Hans von Sponeck, Former UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq

The new element that exists is the almost daily emotional trauma caused
by the illegal war. Every fibre of society is bound to be affected by the
chaos and turmoil in Iraq, to a lesser extent in rural areas, to a
greater extent in Baghdad, Basra and other big cities. No one is spared.

There are islands of improvement, parts of Basra where water supply is
better and parts of Baghdad where the electricity works better. There
is some improvement in hospitals, but everything is affected by security
considerations. Access to services assumes security. If that is not
guaranteed, people don't have that access. In a mother and child
hospital in Basra, for example, there is less access to medicines than under the
sanctions.