[Media-watch] Belgium doctor on TV BBC 24

pamzinkin pamzinkin at gn.apc.org
Sat Apr 19 01:28:20 BST 2003


Geert Van Moorter, M.D., emergency physician, in Baghdad since 16 March for 
Medical Aid for the Third World,  Belgium, was interviewed on BBC 
24  yesterday  He talked about some his experiences and  included some of 
the statements below, but I was sent the following  text which might be of 
interest.

Urgent statement and appeal by Medical Aid for the Third World
Occupying powers responsible for grave humanitarian crisis in Iraq
Baghdad, 16 April 2003

As medical doctors, we cannot remain silent in the face of the enormous 
suffering of the Iraqi civilian population, brought about by the US-British 
bombings, invasion and occupation.

We have seen hundreds of civilians, including many children, injured and 
killed, often by prohibited weapons such as cluster bombs. We have seen how 
ambulances and civilian cars have been hit by US troops. We have 
experienced how patients and health workers had difficulties passing US 
military checkpoints and reaching medical facilities.

We now see how the Iraqi civilian hospitals and other medical facilities 
are plundered and neglected. Many Iraqi health professionals can no longer 
report to work. Without electricity, safe water supply and the provision of 
medicines and other medical supplies, many patients are simply left to die.

As health professionals and as human beings, we cannot tolerate this 
situation. We therefore issue the following statement and appeal:

1.     The current humanitarian catastrophe is entirely and solely the 
responsibility of the US and British authorities, who launched a war of 
aggression against Iraq in complete violation of international law.
2.     In the course of their war, the US and British troops have grossly 
and repeatedly violated international humanitarian law (Articles 10, 12, 
15, 21, 35, 36, 41, 45, 47, 48 and 51of Protocol I additional to the Geneva 
Conventions).
3.     A genuine and lasting solution to the humanitarian catastrophe in 
Iraq can only be realized after the immediate and unconditional withdrawal 
of all US and British occupation troops and the full restoration of Iraq's 
sovereignty on the entire Iraqi territory and on the basis of the Iraqi 
people's own free will.
4.     The US and Great Britain should be made to pay for all direct and 
indirect damages and suffering their war has inflicted upon the Iraqi 
people, country and society.
5.     In the meantime, as occupying powers, the US and Great Britain have 
the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population 
(Article 55 of the Fourth Geneva Convention). They likewise have the duty 
of ensuring and maintaining, with the cooperation of national and local 
authorities, the medical and hospital establishments and services, public 
health and hygiene in the occupied territory. They must allow medical 
personnel to carry out their duties. (Article 56 of the Fourth Geneva 
Convention)
6.     We call on the relevant UN agencies, such as the UNFP, Unicef and 
the WHO, to immediately resume their humanitarian operations in Iraq. A 
firefighter does not wait until the house has burnt down completely, but 
takes risks in order to fight the fire and avoid the complete collapse of 
the building.
7.     We support all spontaneous and organized initiatives of the Iraqi 
population to denounce the US and British occupation and to demand that the 
US and British authorities fulfill their duties under international 
humanitarian law.
8.     We support each initiative that aims to bring US General Tommy 
Franks and other US and British military authorities and personnel before a 
court of justice to make them answer for their violations of international 
humanitarian law. Upon the request of direct victims of US violations of 
international humanitarian law, among them patients and medical personnel, 
we have asked the well-known Belgian human rights lawyer Mr. Jan Fermon to 
explore the concrete possibilities of charging US General Tommy Franks in a 
Belgian court for war crimes, on the basis of the Belgian law of universal 
competence.
Geert Van Moorter, M.D., emergency physician, in Baghdad since 16 March
Colette Moulaert, M.D., pediatrician, in Baghdad from 16 March to 13 April
Harrie Dewitte, M.D., in Baghdad from 6 to 13 April
Claire Geraets, M.D., in Baghdad since 6 April
Bert De Belder, M.D., coordinator of Medical Aid for the Third World in 
Brussels, Belgium

Contact details for Dr Bert de Belder.
bert.de.belder at skynet.be
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