Humanitarian Convoy to Enter Baghdad

Catholic Relief Services
Friday, 2 May 2003

A humanitarian convoy of vitally needed relief items is expected to arrive in Baghdad the afternoon of Saturday, May 3rd. The convoy is comprised of two trucks, carrying a load of more than 20 metric tons, with medicines to treat the needs of more than 25,000 people. The convoy's total value of $336,000 is sponsored by Caritas Internationalis, an international confederation of charitable organizations of the Catholic Church, including Catholic Relief Services.

The convoy, which originated in Amman, Jordan, will enter Iraq early Saturday morning and travel to the central Caritas warehouse in Baghdad, from where the relief items will be distributed to Caritas centers throughout Iraq to reach the needy. A supply of supplemental food to reach 10,000 malnourished children will be delivered at a later date, as food needs are expected to grow in the upcoming weeks.

The convoy's supply of medicines includes first aid kits, painkillers and antibiotics to combat infectious diseases, as well as medication for people coping with chronic illnesses, including diabetes, asthma and stress related ailments. Looting inside Iraq has reduced the availability of such medicines.

The sick will also be able to receive treatment at Caritas Iraq's 14 centers throughout the country and its outreach centers in about 40 schools and churches, where displaced people have sought refuge from the war. The centers include medical teams comprising a medical doctor, health worker and social worker.

Since the outbreak of war on March 19, Caritas Iraq's staff and volunteers inside Iraq have been providing first aid services to people injured in the bombardments, using medicine and equipment supplied by CRS and other Catholic agencies.

On April 2, CRS announced an international appeal for US$8.3 million to support more than 43,000 displaced families (more than 260,000 people) in Iraq over the next three months. The appeal is sponsored by Caritas Internationalis and implementation began immediately.

For more information, or to contact Catholic Relief Services, see their website at: www.catholicrelief.org