41.   Intense fighting over the past few weeks has prevented relief agencies from supplying the government-held city with much-needed food and medicine.

42.   It is an exception from U.N. sanctions that allows Iraq to sell limited amounts of crude oil to buy needed food and medicine.

43.   Iraq can use the money from those sales to buy much needed food and medicine.

44.   Iraq refuses to end its resistance to a U.N. plan to sell oil and buy urgently needed food and medicines, U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said Wednesday.

45.   It keeps workers from getting to their jobs, farmers from selling their produce and the public from getting needed food and other supplies.

46.   Khartoum and the rebels have agreed to a three-month cease-fire to allow foreign aid workers to get needed food and medicine to the area.

47.   Last December, the Security Council approved limited oil sales to allow Iraq to buy needed food and medicine.

48.   Late last year, the United Nations approved limited oil sales so Iraq could buy needed food and medicine.

49.   Khartoum and the rebels have agreed to a three-month cease-fire to let foreign aid workers get needed food and medicine to the area.

50.   Limited oil sales have been allowed since last December so Iraq can buy needed food and medicine for its people.