Hundreds of UN workers leave Iraq voluntarily

United Nations - Hundreds of U.N. humanitarian workers in Iraq are being allowed to leave the country ahead of a likely U.S. invasion, but they have not been asked to evacuate, the United Nations said today.

"No evacuation order has been issued, but it was decided earlier this month that we would allow staff that may wish to leave to do so," said a spokesman, Stephane Dujarric. "This is being done on a voluntary basis."

About 460 staff members, out of a total of some 920 foreign U.N. employees, have left Iraq this month, taking advantage of a new policy allowing them to take time off or pursue training or another mission outside the country, U.N. sources said. The remaining staff members continue to operate in the oil-rich country, one source said.

The new policy has had no impact on some 220 U.N. weapons inspectors and their support staff, who continue to search for weapons of mass destruction in a bid to disarm Baghdad under orders from the 15-nation Security Council, U.N. officials said. Most of the international humanitarian staff members in Iraq work under the umbrella of the U.N. oil-for-food program, put in place in 1996 to ease the suffering of Iraqi citizens. -- Reuters

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