Region faces 'enormous challenge' in recovering from Gulf War.

The region affected by the Persian Gulf crisis "continues to face an enormous challenge in its attempt to recover from the ravages of war", a new UN report states.

The 59-page document, released on 15 July, was prepared by a mission headed by Sadruddin Aga Khan, the Secretary-General's Executive Delegate for the UN Inter-AGency Humanitarian Programme for Iraq, Kuwait and the Iraq/Iran and Iraq/Turkey border areas. The mission visited Iraq from 29 June to 13 July.

The military action to restore Kuwaiti sovereignty was carried out by a coalition of nations against Iraq from 16 January to 28 February. The Security Council had authorized the use of "all necessary means" to uphold and implement its resolutions aimed at ending Iraq's occupation of Kuwait and "to restore international peace and security in the area".

The mission reported (S/22799) that the "tragic consequences of conflict, the untold loss of life and destruction were compounded by massive displacements of ill-prepared populations, by ecological disasters of unprecedented magnitude, by the collapse of the structures that sustain life in today's human societies". The effect on Iraq was "leading to the gradual but inexorable collapse of essential services" and to the "risk of a humanitarian crisis whose eventual dimensions would dwarf today's difficulties".

Sadruddin Aga Khan said the mission was "neither crying wolf nor playing politics". But it was evident that for large numbers of Iraqi people, "every passing month brings them closer to the brink of calamity. As usual, it is the poor, the children, the widowed and the elderly, the most vulnerable amongst the population, who are the first to suffer."

Internal conflicts had also led to displacement in March and April of an estimated 400,000 persons to the Turkish border and approximately 1.2 million towards and into Iran.

The impact of economic and financial sanctions imposed on Iraq was "very substantial" on both its economy and the living conditions of civilians, it was reported. The las food reserves were being exhausted.

An estimated 2.5 million Iraqis had no access to the government water supply system. There were growing threats to health and environment. The single most critical health-care problem in Iraq was reported to be a high incidence of severe malnutrition and chronic diarrhoea in children under fivve years. There were also outbreaks of typhoid, hepatitis, meningitis, cholera and polio, as well as critical shortages of vital medicines. Electricity production was about 40 per cent of the 1990 level. Oil export capacity was only one third of the pre-war level. The telecommunication system could handle only 30 per cent of its pre-war internal service.

The report concluded: "Humanitarian and political interests converge in the aversion of catastrophe. It is clearly imperative that Iraq's 'essential civilian needs' be met urgently and that rapid agreement be secured on the mechanism whereby Iraq's own resources be used to fund them to the satifaction of the international community."

Special mission

The Executive Delegate on 3 July reported on a special fact-finding mission dispatched to southern Iraq to look into the situation of displaced groups in the marshlands of that region. The mission reported a substantial military presence and activity, directed against the people of the area. On 11 July, Sadruddin Aga Khan also visited the area.

On 18 July, clashes took place between Kurds and the Iraqi military in Suleimaniya and Arbil, with estimated casualties ranging up to 500. The Executive Delegate had urged restraint on both sides. By month's end, more than 1,000 Iraqi soldiers, who were being held captive following continuing clashes in the area, were handed over to Iraqi authorities through the ICRC.

On 9 September, Sadruddin Aga Khan expressed concern over more serious clashes in northern Iraq between Government and non-Government forces. The incidents threatened to impede "any meaningful humanitarian endeavour", he said. He again appealed for maximum restraint so that the "essential humanitarian objectives can be realized".

On 10 July, Iraq complained (S/22780) that the Security Council was not fulfilling its mandate under resolution 687 (1991), which provides for a review, every 60 days, of the list of articles covered by the embargo. The humanitarian situation had gone beyond legally acceptable limits, Iraq stated.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 19 July issued a "special alert" to donors to meet the immediate food needs of Iraq. FAO Director-General Edouard Saouma urged that "suitable arrangements" be worked out so that Iraq could purchase basic food imports for 1991-1992.

Prisoners, property

On 8 August, Kuwait reported (S/22921) that Iraq still held 2,479 Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti citizens who were either imprisoned or detained. The Secretary-General was asked to secure their release.

Iraq informed the Secretary-General (S/22992) on 29 August that since March it had repatriated 6,328 Kuwaits and five non-Kuwaiti nationals under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Kuwait impeded the return of other Kuwaitis on the pretext that verification procedures had not been completed, Iraq said.

Beginning 5 August, Iraq turned over 3,216 gold bricks to Kuwait at the Iraqi-Saudi border, through a special UN team. The transfer involved weighing the bricks. Banknotes and coins were also returned.

Iraq on 10 September began returning valuable items removed from Kuwait's national library. The hand-over of some 120,000 books and manuscripts took place on the Saudi border in the presence of UN officials. Other items taken from Kuwait's National Museum were also to be returned. Iraw was also to return Kuwaiti aircraft engines and spare parts.

On 2 August, the Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN's commitment to helping Kuwaitis repair the war damage.

In a statement issued on the first anniversary of Iraqi's invasion of Kuwait, the Secretary-General said that "relief that the invasion has been reversed is tempered by the awareness of the enormous tasks now confronting Kuwait and other countries of the region that were adversely affected by the crisis".

He stressed that "in the face of continuing suffering by millions of innocent people, various agencies of the United Nations family are working in conjunction with many non-governmental and humanitarian organizations to offer emergency relief and to assist in the process of reconstruction and development".

It was his heartfelt wish, he added, that lasting peace would be established in the region, leading to a new era of justice and harmony, based on UN Charter principles.