BEFORE hostilities began, two-thirds of Iraq's 26 million men, women and children relied on food aid schemes.

With the war causing the postponement of the oil-for-food programme, those vital supplies have been cut off.

The longer it takes to topple Saddam Hussein's regime the deeper the humanitarian crisis will become.

There are fears that up to a million Iraqis could be made homeless because of the fighting.

We do not doubt the desire of the armed forces to supply food, water and medicines.

But, as we have already seen in the south of Iraq, troops are not the best people to distribute aid. So far their efforts, although well meaning, have proved chaotic and quite ineffective.

Men and women trained for battle will be better deployed securing the peace rather than trying to do the work of aid workers.

Humanitarian relief is best left to organisations with the skills and expertise learned in other war-torn countries.

Aid agencies, already committed to providing £850m worth of food to those suffering from famine in Africa, may be pushed to near breaking point.

It is imperative, therefore, that every resource is made available to ensure that relief can be sent into liberated areas of Iraq as quickly as it is safe to do so.

We are sure the people of Britain will respond to appeals to donate money to those charities willing and able to send food to the starving people of Iraq.

There may be nothing but loathing for Saddam Hussein and his brutal regime, but there is utmost respect for the long-suffering people of Iraq.

The longer the war goes on, the greater difficulty the governments of the United States and Britain will have in portraying themselves as liberators rather than invaders.

But we are sure that, in their response to charity appeals, the people of our country can demonstrate that their wish is not to conquer, but to set free.

01/04/2003