IRAQI PM CONCEDES CAUSES OF PROTESTS

Corruption behind need for 60,000 to seek hospital treatment in Basra

After months of protest and thousands admitted to Basra hospitals with waterborne illnesses, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi conceded that corruption may have played a part in the southern province’s escalating health crisis, and has launched an investigation.

The incumbent premier faces calls to step down in the face of spreading southern unrest and an epidemic of illness that has been blamed on a lack of clean drinking water.

Mr Al Abadi said he “asked the Integrity Commission to launch an investigation into the delays that have affected a number of infrastructure projects in Basra and other southern provinces,” referring to the government body responsible for fighting corruption.

“We need to establish if corruption played a role in the crisis that Basra is currently encountering,” Mr Al Abadi said.

Residents in Basra believe the breakdown in public services is caused by corruption and years of neglect by central government. Poor governance has been linked to many of Iraqi’s problems, with the country routinely appearing on lists of failing states.

The prime minister has been criticised for being slow to address the crisis, although he previously ordered the removal of makeshift dams that impeded water flow to Basra.

Basra’s heath authorities announced yesterday that more than 60,000 people have been admitted to hospitals for illnesses contracted from polluted drinking water over the past month. Most patients report stomach pains and the majority are treated and dischargedwithin hours, Alaa Hashim, director of Basra’s Health Ministry, told The National.

The pollution of Basra’s water supply has added fuel to protests against poor services.

The UN’s human rights office says it is worried by the escalation of street protests since July, which have led to the deaths of least 11 people, according to Ministry of Health figures. This brings the number of people who have died to at least 20 since demonstrations began on July 8. More than 300 people have been injured and hundreds of protesters have been arrested since then, watchdog group Human Rights Watch reported.

The unrest has spread to attacks on foreign installations, including the Iranian consulate, which was burnt by rioters, and the US consulate, which was targeted by rocket fire.

The crisis reduces Mr Abadi’s chances of retaining the premiership, as political parties continue negotiating to form a new government months after the May 12 election. Last week the prime minister insisted he would not “cling to power”.

Meanwhile, a prominent Baghdad football club cancelled the first match of its season on Monday after 10 of its players were taken to hospital.

Al Hussein team travelled 600 kilometres south to play against Naft Al Junoob in the Iraqi Premier League, but before kick-off much of the team needed treatment after they were believed to have been poisoned by contaminated water.

“With 10 players and two members of the management team spending the night in hospital ... [we negotiated] a postponement of the match” after agreement from the Iraq Football Association, manager Fadhel Zaghir said.

The visiting club had taken precautions ahead of Monday’s fixture, Mr Zaghir said.

“We brought a lot of mineral water with us from Baghdad, but it seems the water used by the players to wash themselves and their clothes was polluted,” he said.

No new date has been set for the match and the team remained in Basra because the players were too unwell to travel back to Baghdad.