United Nations: With Iraq facing threats of war, United Nations Secretary General
Kofi Annan has invited the Security Council members to discuss the humanitarian
planning done by the world body in case America and its allies take military action
against Baghdad.
The Ambassadors of all 15 members of the Security Council are expected to attend the
February 13 meeting to hear Annan on the world body's two-month effort at drawing up
the contingency plans and offer suggestions. The UN expects that between 4 million
and 10 million of Iraq's population of 22 million could need humanitarian assistance
in case of war.
Expressing hope that the issue would be resolved peacefully, Annan told reporters on
February 10, "We have handled previous crises before, and we are doing contingency
planning...so that we will not be caught unprepared if things were to go military
way in Iraq."
Annan's meeting with Ambassadors on February 13 comes a day before the chief weapons
inspectors are to present their crucial reports to the Council on Iraqi compliance
with its resolutions and two days prior to an international conference in Geneva,
hosted by Switzerland, to consider humanitarian consequences of war against
Iraq.
All aid agencies and Council members have been invited but the United States does
not plan to attend it. The UN, which estimates that up to 600,000 Iraqis could cross
over to neighbouring countries in the event of war, had sought $ 37.4 million in
December and US has pledged $ 15 million.
Annan, who is going to Rome to attend the Agricultural Development Fund meet,
expects to meet the Pope on February 18 in the context of Pope's effort to help
resolve Iraq issue peacefully.
PTI
