Iraq: ICRC helps bomb victims following blast near Hilla
05-03-2009 News Release 09/49
Baghdad (ICRC) – In response to a bomb attack near the city of Hilla this morning, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urgently delivered medical supplies to Al Hashimiya General Hospital, in Babil governorate, which received the bulk of the injured.
The explosion, which occurred in the animal market, resulted in a high number of civilian casualties. The ICRC provided one tonne of medical supplies, sufficient to treat 50 wounded people.
" We immediately made contact with the medical authorities concerned to assess the situation and were able to respond to the most urgent medical needs within hours, " said Pascal Ollé, the ICRC's health programme coordinator for Iraq. " Providing hospitals with essential items to save lives following mass casualties remains a priority for the ICRC in Iraq. "
Over the past year, the ICRC has provided 33 hospitals all over the country with over 100 tonnes of medical equipment for the treatment of over 5,400 wounded patients following 49 mass casualty explosions. The most recent such delivery was made to Al Musayab General Hospital, north of Hilla, following an explosion on 14 February.
The ICRC remains concerned about the deliberate targeting of civilians, which is absolutely prohibited by international humanitarian law, and calls upon all parties to the conflict to spare and protect the civilian population.
For further information, please contact:
Dibeh Fakhr, ICRC Iraq, tel: +962 777 399 614 or +962 6 552 39 94
Dorothea Krimitsas, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 25 90 or +41 79 251 93 18