And without such investment, repair and reconstruction of the oil industry itself will remain impossible, and Iraq's poverty will only deepen. When the first delegation of congressional staffers travelled to Iraq last summer, Von Sponeck provided extensive briefings and made his top staff accessible to them. As a result of the sanctions, overall food shortages remain a serious problem in Iraq. Burghardt described how the oil for food program is shielding, but not reversing, the accumulated effects of sanctions. The monthly food basket lasts only about 21 days.
Many families have no other income, and so are living in a situation of complete deprivation.
Like other UN officials working in Baghdad, Burghardt made clear her criticisms of the Iraqi regime. She said that the Government of Iraq deals with the food question solely on an emergency basis, and has been reluctant to go forward towards a full solution, wanting to show clearly the full effects of the sanctions. However, in describing the urgent need for income-generating programs in Iraq, she explained the other side of the problem. The U.S. is the biggest donor to the World Food Program, and played a key role in preventing the new plans. It is Burghardt's team of WFP inspectors who monitor the food distribution program in Iraq.