On day 11 of the war in Iraq, several thousand Iraqis fled Basra under siege
by the British Military. On the outskirts of Basra, there were many scenes
of suffering as the artillery battles between the British and pro-Saddam
forces continued. Inside the city a humanitarian crisis developed, with a
dramatic lack of fresh water and food. On the outskirts of the southern edge
of the city, the "Desert Rats", members of the Blackwatch Regiment of the
7th Armored brigade, maintained checkpoints leading into the city. There
were many signs that the humanitarian crisis was getting worse. Many people
coming and going from the city were collapsing at checkpoints indicating
they were in desperate need of water. The numbers of people fleeing the city
also increased dramatically.
