Saddam has no regard for the health and welfare of the children of Iraq. Since the Gulf War alone, Saddam Hussein has built 48 lavish palaces for himself. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical supplies intended for sick children are being exported for resale overseas. Medicine and medical supplies that are desperately needed by children are frequently delayed because regime members demand bribes from suppliers. The lack of health care in Iraq has led to the reemergence of diseases that had been exterminated years ago, including cholera and polio.

In addition, the regime takes minority children hostage to force their families to relocate, thereby increasing the Sunni Arab majority in particular regions. They also force children between the ages of 10 and 15 to attend three-week training courses in weapons' use, hand-to-hand fighting, rappelling from helicopters, and infantry tactics. These children endure 14 hours of physical training and psychological pressure each day. Families that do not want their children to attend this rigorous training course are threatened with the loss of their food ration cards.

Millions of innocent people in Iraq are suffering. Their daily life has been significantly disrupted with respect to the distribution and quality of food, pharmaceuticals, and sanitation supplies, as well as the lack of clean drinking water. All of these elements have severely interfered with the functioning of basic health and education systems and have undermined the right to work.

— 1999 Report by the UN Special Rapporteur
on the human rights situation in Iraq

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