"Delegates request a thorough and independent investigation on the short-term and long-term impact on public health and on the environment of the military strategies and means used in Iraq," some 300 enviromentalists said in a statement at the end of a three-day meeting in Nairobi.

The delegates from 23 countries also demanded the "immediate removal by, and at the expense of, the occupation forces of all unexploded ammunition and shrapnel and destroyed war material because of the health risks they contain.

"So many munitions have not exploded and are still in the country which can be very dangerous for children who may come across them while playing," Paul Lannoye, member of the European parliament Green Group said.

On Thursday, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in Geneva warned in a report that war damage to sanitation and electricity systems, coupled with worsening pollution, had aggravated Iraq's environmental crisis and posed a threat to health.

The report also suggested scientists carry out a risk assessment of sites struck by US depleted-uranium (DU) munitions and that the Iraqi public be given advice on how to avoid potential exposure to DU.

Welcoming the announcement by UNEP that it is seeking to carry out such an environmental assessment, the delegates insisted that "investigations must start without delay, especially in the urban areas of Iraq."

They blamed both the United States and Britain for using cluster bombs and depleted uranium as well as any prohibited weapons intended or liable to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment.

Delegates stressed that the sovereignty of Iraqi people must be restored immediately, saying in their statement that "implies full control and transparent use of the natural resources of the country and the revenue they generate to benefit the social and ecomonomic well-being of the entire population of Iraq."

SPACE.WIRE