UN Seeking to Immunize 4 Million Iraqi Children as War Looms [Propaganda Timing Alert]

United Nations, Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations is

seeking to immunize more than 4 million Iraqi children for measles

and polio before a possible U.S.-led war begins, a spokesman for

the UN Children's Fund said.

Seven hundred representatives of UN agencies and the

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

will join more than 13,000 Iraqis in a door-to-door drive during a

five-day period beginning Sunday, Unicef spokesman Alfred Ironside

said.

''The measles drive has been going on, but we were afraid if

we didn't accelerate it we would be caught in a situation of kids

moving around the country and across borders,'' Ironside said.

U.S. President George W. Bush has vowed to lead a coalition

of nations to forcibly disarm Iraq if Saddam Hussein's regime

doesn't adhere to UN demands to abandon programs to develop

weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. and U.K. have sent about

200,000 troops to the Persian Gulf in preparation for military

action.

The UN anticipates that a war may drive 2 million of Iraq's

24 million people from their homes. Secretary-General Kofi Annan

last week asked for $120 million to prepare for a humanitarian

crisis following military action.

Unicef has reported that one out of eight Iraqi children dies

before the age of 5, one of the highest death rates in the world.

Up to 500,000 children under 5 haven't been vaccinated against

measles, the world's deadliest childhood illness.

'Extremely Vulnerable'

''There is no question that Iraqi children are extremely

vulnerable,'' Unicef Executive Director Carol Bellamy said in a

statement. ''Finding these children is an important undertaking.

We are still hopeful that peace will prevail, but the UN has a

responsibility to be prepared should the worst happen.''

Unicef is shipping 500,000 doses of measles vaccine, costing

$1 million, to Iraq, according to Ironside.

While no cases of polio have been reported in Iraq in the

past two years, Unicef said children vaccinated last year need a

second round of shots to be immunized against the crippling

illness.

Unicef hopes to have time to immunize Iraqi children between

the ages of 6 and 12 by the end of March, Ironside said.

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