KEEPING CIVILIAN populations supplied with water, food, and medicine is always crucial in a war, but all the more so in Iraq. One goal of the United States and its allies is to improve, not worsen, the lot of the Iraqi people. The war's many critics in the Mideast especially will be only too quick to blame the coalition, whatever the responsibility of Saddam Hussein's regime, if there is a humanitarian disaster. (Official USMC)...

A BOSTON GLOBE EDITORIAL

OBLIGATIONS IN IRAQ

3/26/2003

KEEPING CIVILIAN populations supplied with water, food, and medicine is always crucial in a war, but all the more so in Iraq. One goal of the United States and its allies is to improve, not worsen, the lot of the Iraqi people. The war's many critics in the Mideast especially will be only too quick to blame the coalition, whatever the responsibility of Saddam Hussein's regime, if there is a humanitarian disaster.

One could easily develop in Basra, the southern Iraqi city of 2 million that still holds many Saddam loyalists. The population is largely Shiite and historically opposed to the Sunni minority that is the center of Saddam's power, and there were reports yesterday of Shiites rebelling against his forces in Basra. But the insecurity of the city has made it difficult for coalition forces to restore full electrical power, which is necessary for the operation of the water supply pumps.

Until yesterday the British troops had hoped to dislodge Saddam's fighters through surrenders rather than an attack on the city that could turn into house-to-house combat. But because of the humanitarian situation, the British yesterday declared parts of the city near utility facilities to be targets for their soldiers.

Especially if the reports of a Shiite uprising are true, the British troops should be able before long to secure central power and water installations and thereby prevent the water-borne diseases that would imperil Iraqis forced to use untreated water.

The longer-term problem facing all of Iraq, not just Basra, is food shortages. Even before the war there were 1 million malnourished children in Iraq, according to UNICEF. The ''oil for food'' program overseen by the United Nations supplied 60 percent of the population with all of its food. Although most Iraqis are thought to have stored a few weeks' worth of goods in anticipation of the war, the program is not in place now, and negotiations have been underway since last Saturday at the UN to pass a Security Council resolution that would set new terms for the program.

Complicating the agreement is concern by the French and others that the resolution's wording could be seen as legitimizing the US coalition's decision to go to war. To avoid an extended deadlock on this or other issues, Security Council ambassadors, who are expected to meet on this subject this morning, should pass a stripped-down resolution that circumvents larger political issues and focuses on the technical matter of reinstating the program as quickly as possible.

There are $2.8 billion in ''uncommitted funds'' from the program and $10.1 billion worth of supplies in the pipeline. These resources, bought with the proceeds of Iraqi oil sales, should be provided to the Iraqi people as quickly as possible. There are $2.8 billion in ''uncommitted funds'' from the program and $10.1 billion worth of supplies in the pipeline. These resources, bought with the proceeds of Iraqi oil sales, should be provided to the Iraqi people as quickly as possible.

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