Iraqi doctors, who are very dedicated, have been without access to updated medical journals or texts since 1990. He reported that because of the lack of medicine and basic medical supplies surgical procedures have been reduced by 75 percent. Some are performed without anesthetic. He noted that leukemia and congenital abnormalities have increased dramatically, possibly as a consequence of exposure to depleted uranium from the weapons that rained down on Iraq during the Gulf War. Furthermore, there has been a growth in mental health disorders, including in particular those related to stress.
Social breakdown is evident in the form of increased theft and vagrancy.
The Oil for Food program has been a failure from the start. Contracts may take months to approve. She reported that much of the infrastructure in Iraq has not been repaired. A multi-tiered bureaucracy must approve any exports. Today Iraq is the poorest country in the world.