A 2-year-old Iraqi boy has lost one leg after his home was fired by a bomb, Nov. 13, 2004. He was transferred to a hospital in Baghdad afterwards. (AFP photo)

A father and his son escaped from Fallujah live in a tent in Baghdad, Nov. 13, 2004. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Fallujah was witnessing a humanitarian disaster and in desperate need for international aid,a spokeswoman of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) told Xinhuaon Saturday.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Ferdus al-Ibadi,spokeswoman of the major Iraqi relief agency, said there was a "humanitarian disaster" inside Fallujah.

"There are diseases killing children, pregnant women aborted,old and wounded people dying in the streets ... bodies rotten inthe streets, let alone the occupation of the main hospital and eventhe destruction of health clinics," Ibadi told Xinhua.

A convoy delivering necessities entered Fallujah late Saturday.The convoy sent by the IRCS on Saturday comprised five trucks,three ambulances and a minibus carrying food and medical supplies,drinking water, and more than 30 volunteers, including doctors,Ibadi said.

The convoy was earlier held up by US troops manning a checkpointoutside Fallujah, arguing that the road was precarious.

"Whether the US troops give us the green light to enter or not,we are determined to go ahead to enter the city," Ibadi said in heroffice in western Baghdad.

Just Minutes earlier, Iraqi national security advisor QassimDawood told a press conference in Baghdad that the US-Iraqi massiveassault on Iraq's once rebel-held city of Fallujah had ended, withover 1,000 insurgents killed and 200 captured.

Meanwhile, 22 US and five Iraqi soldiers were killed in theoperation and 178 US soldiers were injured, according to the USmilitary.

However, Dawood did not give any civilian casualties and onlysaid 90 percent of the residents in Fallujah had fled the citybefore the operation started on Monday, complained Ibadi.

The IRSC, major aid agency in Iraq, had previously sent a letterto the US-led forces, asking for permission to enter the besiegedcity, but was only allowed to visit the refugee camps outsideFallujah because of the "dangerous situation" there, noted thespokeswoman.

Ibadi called on the international media to shed light on thevolatile situation of more than 150 families still trapped in theheart of Fallujah and thousands of people in refugee camps andvillages outside the city.

"Media coverage will be a big plus for us since help is badlyneeded," she said.

"We have received some help from world humanitarian bodies tothe Iraqi Red Crescent Society, and the aid workers now have gainedsome back from the world, but it is not enough, and they have tobuy the basic necessities from the market, which are neverthelessfar from enough," she complained.

"We need every hand in the world to help people everywhere inIraq," Ibadi underlined.

Under an authorization from Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi,the US and Iraqi forces broke into Fallujah on Monday to clear thecity of insurgents. The operation was said to help pave way for thegeneral elections due in January.

The US marines said no innocent people were killed during thesix-day-long battle, but women fleeing the city days after theoutburst of fighting said they saw bodies of children thrown intothe Euphrates River.

Correspondents and eyewitnesses sometimes reported civilianswounded and even killed in bombardments or by shrapnels. Ananonymous doctor also said some children died without apparentindications of injury.

A letter attributed to the people of Fallujah obtained by Xinhuasaid the dead and wounded were scattered in the streets and USsnipers were shooting at everything moving including those tryingto rescue the injured.

All the infrastructure and medical clinics were destroyed in theUS bombardments, and doctors and their aides were among thedeceased, added the letter.