Relief Organizations: Situation in Baghdad Catastrophic by Voice of America - News 12:28pm 13th Apr, 2003   13 Apr 2003,    Relief organizations say the security situation in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities is catastrophic and preventing the widespread delivery of aid.    The International Committee of the Red Cross says only three of Baghdad's more than 30 hospitals are open. It says hospitals have been looted of medical supplies and most medical staff are not reporting for duty.    The U.S. Central Command says a man carrying a Syrian passport shot and killed a U.S. Marine guarding a medical facility in Baghdad Saturday.    International organizations are urging U.S.-led coalition forces to crack down on looters and restore order to Iraq's cities. The Red Cross and Human Rights Watch say the United States is a temporary occupying power under international law, and therefore is obligated to ensure the safety of the civilian population under its control.    At Baghdad's Iraqi National Museum, looters have plundered artifacts dating back thousands of years. The Director-General (Koichiro Matsuura) of the United Nation's cultural organization, UNESCO, has urged coalition forces to take immediate action to protect Iraq's archaeological sites and cultural institutions.    Widespread looting was also reported in the northern city of Mosul which fell from Iraqi government control Friday, and in southern Iraq, British military officials said troops shot dead five bank robbers in Basra.    (Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters). Visit the related web page
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