Both had lost family members in the raid. Never in my lifetime do I expect to experience such forgiveness. She is now lending her voice to humanitarian pressure to lift the sanctions. Malnutrition is endemic, reaching 50 to 60 per cent of the population outside Baghdad. On their previous visit last December, the group had gathered case histories of desperately sick children so they could return with the specific medicines needed.
Cancer treatment is vital, say aid agencies, as cancers have increased five-fold since the Gulf War.
On their latest visit, they discovered that many of the children they had seen earlier had died. They toured several hospitals, visiting child patients. I raced round all the children, talked to mothers. I am really trying to kill my grief. He made even the sickest children smile, creating a brief escape from suffering.