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The Department of Foreign Affairs agreed to assist various civil society organisations under the umbrella of the Iraq Action Committee based in Durban, to send a humanitarian flight to Baghdad, Iraq, during the period 22 to 25 February 2001.

Subsequently, the flight was delayed due to logistical reasons and following requests from both the South African Iraq Action Committee and the Government of Iraq to postpone this Humanitarian Flight to a period between 28 February and 3 March 2001.

Following a further request from the Government of Iraq the flight was once again postponed to a later date to be mutually agreed upon between the Governments of South Africa and Iraq and the Iraq Action Committee.

Both postponements also involved finalisation of logistical arrangements required for the humanitarian flight to Baghdad to take place.

The Government remains committed to the spirit of the partnership between itself and the Durban-based Iraq Action Committee and other national humanitarian civil society organisations to undertake a humanitarian flight to Iraq at a later date. The basis of finalising such an undertaking will include all the necessary and requisite logistical arrangements, including compliance with requirements set by the United Nations and with respect to international law.

The unfolding humanitarian disaster in Iraq, which is a result of international sanctions, is unprecedented. Its consequences have been widely documented and a recent UNICEF report indicates that the effects of sanctions are a directly attributable cause of the deaths of more than 1 million Iraqi children.

Additionally, they have been responsible for the widespread collapse of extensive Iraqi infrastructure such as hospitals, water, electricity and sewage reticulations systems affecting negatively the lives of millions of ordinary Iraqis, with a consequently massive impact on the public health profile of this nation. South Africa, given its national ethos and international responsibilities cannot ignore the human consequences of this disaster.

This decision of the Government to join in an effort to assist in relieving the suffering of the Iraqi people follows widespread public concern expressed by such international personalities as the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as well as various former senior United Nations officials responsible for humanitarian relief in Iraq about the human consequences of sanctions.

Additionally, UNICEF, the World Food Program, and a majority of the Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council have expressed their growing disquiet about the increasing humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

The Government views the planned humanitarian flight to Iraq as a powerful international statement about the unprecedented conditions of human suffering prevailing in Iraq today and the need of the international community to address the causes of this.

The Iraqi people remain the unintended victims and chief casualties of the catastrophic effects of the humanitarian disaster, which more than a decade of international sanctions has wrought and their plight has to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

The humanitarian consignment collected among South Africans, in addition to such sorely needed items such as milk powder and baby formula, includes six tons of medical supplies. The Iraq Action Committee collected the entire consignment among concerned members of the South African public.

The humanitarian flight from South Africa is one of a growing number of such flights from many countries and international/national humanitarian organisations around the world. In the recent past humanitarian flights have arrived in Baghdad from such diverse countries as the USA, UK, France, the Russian Federation, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, the Gulf States, Scandinavian countries, Bulgaria, India, Vietnam and others.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs would have accompanied the flight. In addition to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, humanitarian workers from the Iraq Action Committee and other national civil society organisations, as well as media and business personalities would have participated.

In the initial planning for the flight, both the United Nations and the Government of Iraq were fully informed by the government of the complete list of all those persons that would have accompanied the humanitarian flight.

The cargo consisted of the humanitarian consignment collected among South Africans, which included six tons of medical supplies as well as milk powder and baby formula.

In accordance with standard diplomatic practice, it is planned that Deputy Minister Pahad will hold meetings while in Iraq with his counterparts and those Ministers in Iraq who are concerned with South Africa's efforts to bring about an end to the suffering of the Iraqi people. Meetings are also planned with senior United Nations officials dealing with humanitarian relief in Iraq as well heads of international NGO's involved in the humanitarian crisis.

Given the high international profile, which developments in respect of Iraq and the whole issue of sanctions and its attendant humanitarian crisis enjoy, the Department of Foreign Affairs conducted a wide range of discussions with numerous foreign governments in the immediate region, including Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey and Iran.

Additionally, there have been ongoing contacts with the United Nations as well as with Norway and the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council viz. France, the Russian Federation, the Peoples Republic of China, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In these contacts, cordial discussions took place regarding the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Iraq and the need to break the impasse currently existing between the Government of Iraq and the international community over the issue of sanctions.

At no stage in any of these contacts was the Government of South Africa requested to cancel the flight.

Contact Basetsana Thokoane at 083 443 7740, 012 351 0174

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs

8 April 2001