Iraq's Emergency care

Iraq’s relatively stable emergency care system was extremely weakened due to the UN imposed sanctions on Iraq between 1991-2003. Ambulances were not allowed because of their supposed “dual use” (i.e. both civilian or military purposes). This sanction-war on Iraq resulted in extreme medical shortages, almost no emergency vehicles and the death of over a million of People.

During the years after the invasion Iraq’s emergency care was again assaulted, for example when the occupation blocked ambulance transport of wounded civilians during the siege of Fallujah in 2004. US Military raids killed patients in their beds because they were suspected of being ‘insurgents’ and ambulance personnel was harrassed or arrested in the middle of performing operations.