DATE=2/16/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=IRAQ SANCTIONS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259213
BYLINE=LISA BRYANT
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:


INTRO:  Another top United Nations humanitarian 
official in Iraq has resigned amid mounting disagreement  
about the impact of economic sanctions on Baghdad.  
From Cairo, Lisa Bryant reports that the latest 
resignation was submitted by the local representative 
of the World Food Program, or W-F-P. 

TEXT:  The United Nations has confirmed the 
resignation of Jutta Burghardt, the Iraq 
representative for the World Food Program.  The agency 
said Ms. Burghart, who is German, was leaving for 
personal reasons, and would resume working for her 
government.

But the W-F-P official told news agencies Wednesday 
that she had resigned because she found a U-N 
resolution to speed up humanitarian assistance 
unworkable.  The resolution aims to ease sanctions if 
Iraq lets arms monitors return to Baghdad - a proposal 
that so far Baghdad has ruled out.  And Ms. Burghardt 
said it would be impossible for the W-F-P to buy food 
in local markets as the new resolution envisions.

News of Ms. Burghardt's departure comes just days 
after another German U-N official - the organization's 
top humanitarian coordinator in Baghdad - resigned in 
protest over United Nations economic sanctions on 
Iraq.

The aid coordinator, Hans Von Sponeck, called the 
impact of the economic sanctions on ordinary Iraqis a 
tragedy.

He also said the United Nation's oil-for-food program 
was not meeting what he considered to be people's 
minimum requirements.  That program allows Baghdad to 
sell more than five-billion dollars worth of oil every 
six months in return for food, medicine and other 
supplies.

On Tuesday, Ms. Burghardt said she fully supported Mr. 
Von Sponeck's conclusion about the humanitarian impact 
of the sanctions.  In 1998, Mr. Von Sponeck's 
predecessor, Dennis Halliday, also resigned after 
disagreeing with the program.

Key U-N agencies and member countries are split over 
the impact of the sanctions.  /// Opt /// The United 
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says the oil-for-food 
swap has not helped lower infant and child mortality 
rates, which UNICEF says have doubled in some areas 
since 1989.  U-N Security Council members France, 
Russia and China also support an early easing of 
sanctions.  /// End Opt ///

The U-S and Britain have been strong supporters of the 
sanctions, particularly because of Baghdad's 
continuing refusal to allow U-N arms inspectors to 
return to Iraq.  /// Opt ///  U-S State Department 
spokesman James Rubin said Mr. Von Sponeck and Ms. 
Burghardt should not act as self-appointed spokesmen 
for the U-N Security Council.  /// End Opt /// 
(SIGNED)

NEB/LB/GE/ENE/JP




16-Feb-2000 10:49 AM EDT (16-Feb-2000 1549 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.