The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported that, because of the prolonged sanctions against Iraq, more than 1 million people, most of them children, have died. From 1990 to 1995, the mortality rate for children under five increased six times over prewar levels. Today, more than 4 million people are starving to death, and life expectancy has plummeted by about 15 years! Former attorney general Ramsey Clark calls the blockade “a crime against humanity…a weapon of mass destruction [that] attacks women and children…like the neutron bomb it takes lives, it kills people, but it protects property.” Please contact your elected representatives and let them know how you feel.

An excellent new book titled The Children Are Dying: The Impact of the Sanctions on Iraq is now available. It includes the FAO report and other vital information. The cost is US$10.00. Order from the International Action Center, tel: 212-633-6646, fax: 212-633-2889, or write 39 W. 14 St. #206, New York NY 10011, USA.a