Medicines and food scarce for trapped civilians

Rory McCarthy in Baghdad
Wednesday November 10, 2004
The Guardian

Iraqis still living in the city of Falluja said yesterday that conditions were deteriorating, with no electricity, food shortages and limited medical aid for the wounded.

"The situation in Falluja is a tragedy," one resident, who gave his name as Ismail, told the Guardian by telephone.

"People cannot reach the clinics or the hospital and there are many wounded people. Most people are staying inside their houses. The fighting is heavy."

Although most of the population of 300,000 has fled the city in recent weeks, tens of thousands of civilians are thought to have stayed behind. Under the terms of a curfew imposed on Monday they cannot leave their homes.

The city's main hospital was the first target captured in the operation and there were reports yesterday that another medical clinic had been destroyed in bombing. Once the attack began, power was cut off to the city and some residents said the water supply had also been cut.

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