War on Iraq threatens Humanitarian Disaster

12.00.00am GMT Thu 23rd Jan 2003

Jenny Tonge MP was on BBC Two's Daily Politics programme, about the possible consequences of military action against Iraq this morning.

She said "After years of Iraqi misgovernment and inept sanctions, the Iraqi people are on the brink of humanitarian disaster, before any shot has been fired."

"Dependence upon inadequate rations has left the Iraqi people very vulnerable to any disruption to their supply - such as military action. Even more lethal is the threat to a sanitation system, dependent upon struggling power supplies, which could be snuffed out in air strikes.

"Bush and Blair should be very conscious of the fact that international humanitarian law prohibits attacks on 'objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population'."

"It is incumbent upon any advocates of military action to prove that action will do more good than harm."

"ENDS