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WASHINGTON- Thousands of Iraqi
children in need of aid will benefit from a donation made by the
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a nonprofit
health advocacy organization. The group made this donation in honor
of Dr. Benjamin Spock, the world famous pediatrician, long-time
humanitarian, and PCRM member. The doctors' group donated medical
supplies and enough soymilk to feed up to 30,000 children.
PCRM worked in conjunction with
international aid organizations in Iraq and Vitasoy, an
international soymilk company that supplied the 20-foot container of
the enriched soy beverage. PCRM decided to donate soymilk because it
is suitable for lactose-intolerant persons, withstands high desert
temperatures, and requires no refrigeration. An estimated 20 percent
of Iraqi children are malnourished, and many are lactose intolerant.
The donation was made in
collaboration with Mary Morgan, Dr. Spock's widow, who asked to work
with PCRM to commemorate the work of her late husband. Dr. Spock is
best known for "Baby and Child Care," the best-selling
secular book of all time. Benjamin Spock was a lifelong activist,
pacifist, and disarmament proponent, in addition to being an
advocate for a non-dairy vegetarian diet for children -- a position
PCRM also promotes through its many campaigns. Dr. Spock discusses
the problems a meat and dairy-based diet can cause in the 7th and
final edition of his best-selling book.
"We've overcome a number of
delays and obstacles in getting the shipment over to Iraq,"
said PCRM president Neal Barnard, M.D. "The post-war climate
makes it extremely difficult for aid organizations to do their work,
but we felt compelled as a physicians' group to do our part to help
those suffering overseas. PCRM is proud to announce that the
supplies and soymilk shipment have arrived safely in Baghdad and
will be distributed to thousands of children in need."
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