A senior United Nations official in Iraq has again called for an end to UN sanctions, saying they've created a human tragedy.

Hans von Sponeck - the UN humanitarian coordinator in Baghdad said the UN's oil-for-food programme was not meeting the minimum requirements of the Iraqi people - and innocent civilians were being punished. Under the programme, Iraqi oil can be sold to buy food, medicines and other supplies. The head of the UN programme, Benon Sevan, has warned that Iraq's oil industry is in a lamentable state, and unless Baghdad is allowed to buy spare sparts, production will drop.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service