Recalling a Mission Amid the Bombs – Tehran to Baghdad, February 1991

Earlier this week, our "Photo Memory of the Week" featured a group photo shared by Niloufar Pourzand, capturing members of the joint UNICEF–WHO emergency mission to Iraq.

The photo was taken by Reza Hossaini on 13 or 14 February 1991, shortly before the convoy left Tehran by road through Bakhtaran en route to Baghdad. In addition to the mission members the photo shows several of the UNICEF Tehran staff - Mojtaba Haghgou, Niloufar Pourzand, Zohreh Akhavan, Shahnaz Sanami, Hamid Moradi, and Touradj Namdari.

The mission brought with it 12 truckloads of emergency medical, health, water, and sanitation supplies. UNICEF had flown the supplies into Tehran on two chartered aircraft. Nigel Fisher, along with Reza and Hamid Hossaini, worked at the Red Crescent warehouses to load the trucks and paint UN markings on the tarpaulins — a feat of rapid logistics under tight conditions and with limited communication.

The mission was led by Richard Reid (UNICEF) and Dr. Ali Khogali (WHO), with support from Dr. Abdullah Dirya (WHO/EMRO), Dr. El-Fateh El-Samani, Dr. Gianni Murzi, Mr. Raymond Naimy (UNICEF/MENA), and Dr. Annette Verster (WHO/EMRO), among others.

Posting the photo sparked a flurry of memories and reflections from Nigel Fisher, Reza Hossaini, Gianni Murzi, and Niloufar Pourzand. Gianni also located and shared the official UN Security Council report on the mission (S/22328). As Nigel recalls, the goal of the mission was to provide “as good an assessment as they could of the health situation and the impacts of the war on Iraqi women and children.”

The memory is especially poignant today, as Tehran itself comes under bombardment in a new conflict. Reza writes:

“I’m typing this email while watching Tehran being bombed — one has fallen very close to our house, where we spend a few nights by the fireplace. Sadly, Iranians are once again caught in a major war that they had nothing to do with and did not start. And like the war with Iraq, the country is all alone, while the enemy has the full backing of the US and Western world…”

Nigel added another sobering memory:

“On 13 February, as the joint team was preparing to leave, we learned that the US Air Force had bombed the Al Amiriyah air-raid shelter in Baghdad, killing over 400 civilians, many of them children. We were all stunned. Of course, it cast immediate doubt over the continuation of the mission. But it was rapidly decided to go ahead. I don’t recall the details, but I believe HQ contacted the US government to ensure safe passage.”

Despite the tension, there were moments of levity. Nigel remembers:

“A few days into loading the trucks, I told the NYHQ MENA desk — Stewart McNab was on the other end — that we couldn’t find blue paint for the ‘UN’ letters on the trucks and had to use pink instead. A definite no-no as far as the Coalition air force would be concerned. After they freaked out, I told them the truth — the letters were painted blue.”

Reza recalled other challenges, including outdated maps and the chaos of late-night planning:

“Your email brought back many great memories, including the many late-night conference calls with Sarojini and her team at the MENA desk. One night, they were asking for the exact route of the convoy based on a very outdated map. After a long day painting tarpaulins in the UN basement and with no energy left for argument, Nigel kept saying ‘Sorry, we can’t hear you, Sarojini,’ and disconnected the phone. 😊 

When they heard about the Amiriyah bombing, the poor health advisor was openly praying for the mission to be cancelled.”

Here is the official UN Security Council report on the mission (S/22328).