Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Interview with Alex Renton of Oxfam
Aired April 10, 2003 - 14:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: International aid agencies now are pleading for security amid what they say is an outbreak of lawlessness and chaos in some of Iraq's cities. They say the power vacuum is hampering aid efforts. And some want coalition forces to put a halt to the out of control looting.
With us from Amman, Jordan, now is Alex Renton, a regional media coordinator for the aid group Oxfam.
First of all, we heard Victoria Clarke, the Pentagon official tell us a short time ago -- she gave us a fairly upbeat assessment of efforts to get food and water and other basics of life to the Iraqi people.
What is your assessment of what the people of Iraq need right now?
ALEX RENTON, OXFAM: Well, this message from the Pentagon is disturbing a lot of us here. It's not what we're seeing on the ground. In Baghdad, as you know, widespread looting, seemingly uncontrollable. We're going to try to send an aid convoy in -- which Oxfam America supplied some of the funds for,tonight in order to try to reach some of these hospitals that have been looted. But that's just -- it's a band aid. It's just bits and pieces of what -- the coordinated organized effort that needs to addresses millions of people particularly those lacking clean water. It's just not happening at this moment.
WOODRUFF: What's your overall assessment in terms of water, in terms of food, health care, shelter and the rest of it, what is your...
RENTON: I'm not hearing you.
WOODRUFF: Mr. Renton, can you hear me now?
RENTON: Yes. I am hear you know.
WOODRUFF: I just wanted to ask you what is your assessment of the need for water, food, shelter, the other basics of life?
RENTON: Well, in the south now, we're seeing still over a million people who haven't had any real access to clean water in the last 10 days or even two weeks. And it's particularly disturbing right in the south in Umm Qasr, which we keep hearing about is a successful example of the aid mission, from the hospital this morning we were told they're seeing 10 times as many diarrhea cases, result of dirty water in young children. And malnourished young children, and many Iraqi young children are malnourished. That can be very, very dangerous.
WOODRUFF: So, what needs to be done? As I understand Oxfam is not even in Iraq yet. Is that correct?
RENTON: At the moment, the situation is impossible for us, as it is for many other agencies, including the United Nations ones to penetrate with any depth into Iraq. We're waiting on full borders in order to get in there. And were waiting to do that with UNICEF, as well. What we need now is a serious effort made to bring this breakdown of law and order under control. At the moment, it's excited people looting, stealing things. It could become something much more serious and something much more serious to building the peace.
WOODRUFF: But we are hearing again from the Pentagon just a short time ago -- we heard General Stanley McChrystal say the first focus for them has to be the death squads and the threats to U.S. troops before they can focus on the looting.
RENTON: Of course we understand that. But the -- it has to be said also -- we've heard many American commanders say, we're not policemen. But there is a duty under international law to provide security and law and order to civilians. Would I say there is also a practical need for it as well. If this country is to be rebuilt. If the confidence of the Iraqi people are to be got by the coalition, then they have to be -- the coalition has to show itself as a viable, meaningful replacement for the regime that has been kicked out.
WOODRUFF: Very quickly, when is Oxfam going to get into Iraq, do you believe?
RENTON: Well, we're getting a convoy in tonight, which is good news. And we're hoping to get in a larger way from Kuwait over the weekend. But, again, we wait for the military to provide the space which makes that possible for us and the other agencies.
WOODRUFF: All right. Alex Renton, who is with Oxfam. And he joins us from Amman, Jordan. Mr. Renton, thank you very much for talking with us. We appreciate it. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 10, 2003 - 14:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: International aid agencies now are pleading for security amid what they say is an outbreak of lawlessness and chaos in some of Iraq's cities. They say the power vacuum is hampering aid efforts. And some want coalition forces to put a halt to the out of control looting.
With us from Amman, Jordan, now is Alex Renton, a regional media coordinator for the aid group Oxfam.
First of all, we heard Victoria Clarke, the Pentagon official tell us a short time ago -- she gave us a fairly upbeat assessment of efforts to get food and water and other basics of life to the Iraqi people.
What is your assessment of what the people of Iraq need right now?
ALEX RENTON, OXFAM: Well, this message from the Pentagon is disturbing a lot of us here. It's not what we're seeing on the ground. In Baghdad, as you know, widespread looting, seemingly uncontrollable. We're going to try to send an aid convoy in -- which Oxfam America supplied some of the funds for,tonight in order to try to reach some of these hospitals that have been looted. But that's just -- it's a band aid. It's just bits and pieces of what -- the coordinated organized effort that needs to addresses millions of people particularly those lacking clean water. It's just not happening at this moment.
WOODRUFF: What's your overall assessment in terms of water, in terms of food, health care, shelter and the rest of it, what is your...
RENTON: I'm not hearing you.
WOODRUFF: Mr. Renton, can you hear me now?
RENTON: Yes. I am hear you know.
WOODRUFF: I just wanted to ask you what is your assessment of the need for water, food, shelter, the other basics of life?
RENTON: Well, in the south now, we're seeing still over a million people who haven't had any real access to clean water in the last 10 days or even two weeks. And it's particularly disturbing right in the south in Umm Qasr, which we keep hearing about is a successful example of the aid mission, from the hospital this morning we were told they're seeing 10 times as many diarrhea cases, result of dirty water in young children. And malnourished young children, and many Iraqi young children are malnourished. That can be very, very dangerous.
WOODRUFF: So, what needs to be done? As I understand Oxfam is not even in Iraq yet. Is that correct?
RENTON: At the moment, the situation is impossible for us, as it is for many other agencies, including the United Nations ones to penetrate with any depth into Iraq. We're waiting on full borders in order to get in there. And were waiting to do that with UNICEF, as well. What we need now is a serious effort made to bring this breakdown of law and order under control. At the moment, it's excited people looting, stealing things. It could become something much more serious and something much more serious to building the peace.
WOODRUFF: But we are hearing again from the Pentagon just a short time ago -- we heard General Stanley McChrystal say the first focus for them has to be the death squads and the threats to U.S. troops before they can focus on the looting.
RENTON: Of course we understand that. But the -- it has to be said also -- we've heard many American commanders say, we're not policemen. But there is a duty under international law to provide security and law and order to civilians. Would I say there is also a practical need for it as well. If this country is to be rebuilt. If the confidence of the Iraqi people are to be got by the coalition, then they have to be -- the coalition has to show itself as a viable, meaningful replacement for the regime that has been kicked out.
WOODRUFF: Very quickly, when is Oxfam going to get into Iraq, do you believe?
RENTON: Well, we're getting a convoy in tonight, which is good news. And we're hoping to get in a larger way from Kuwait over the weekend. But, again, we wait for the military to provide the space which makes that possible for us and the other agencies.
WOODRUFF: All right. Alex Renton, who is with Oxfam. And he joins us from Amman, Jordan. Mr. Renton, thank you very much for talking with us. We appreciate it. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
