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The first convoy of assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) left Kuwait Friday for the Iraqi southern city of Basra as scheduled, a ICRC spokesman said.
The convoy left Kuwait at 8:30 a.m. local time (0530GMT), spokesman Tamara Al-Rifai said in a statement.
The ICRC has notified the US-British coalition forces and the Iraqi authorities to provide the ICRC an independent safe passage with no military escort, she added.
Two ICRC trucks loaded with medical supplies, water and blankets have headed to Basra hospitals, she noted, adding the supplies will be distributed to hospitals in Basra which are facing shortage of such material.
The ICRC spokeswoman also said a four-member ICRC team last week went to Basra, the second largest city in southern Iraq, where they evaluated the situation and made the recommendations for the hospitals in need.
The team described the situation in Basra as "very tense" and that hospitals in Basra need support, she added.
In the past days, British forces have besieged Basra and hit the headquarters of Iraq's Baath party in the city, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries.
However, Iraqi officials claimed Basra was still under their control and the invaders met stiff resistance and suffered heavy casualties.
(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2003)
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