U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Background

Since 1991, the Iraqi population has subsisted on the brink of a humanitarian disaster due to the lingering effects of war, sanctions, and drought. Between 1991 and 1996, the U.S. Government provided nearly $794 million in humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Iraq.

In 1996, the Government of Iraq (GOI) accepted the United Nations (U.N.) Oil-for-Food Program (OFF), after which humanitarian conditions improved. Revenues from the OFF program provided food, medicine, and other civilian goods to assist vulnerable Iraqis through the Public Distribution System (PDS). However, widespread corruption by Iraqi officials limited the effectiveness of the OFF program.

On March 20, 2003, Coalition forces began military operations in Iraq. On May 1, 2003, 42 days after the conflict began, U.S. President George W. Bush announced that combat operations in Iraq have ended. Although the recent conflict did not result in the large-scale humanitarian crisis and widespread displacement many had envisioned, the conflict and subsequent disorder has exacerbated the Iraqi population's vulnerable circumstances.

In March 2003, the United States Government (USG) deployed a multi-agency Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to the region to assess and respond to humanitarian needs and to help coordinate the emergency relief effort. In Iraq, the DART has established offices in Al Basrah, Arbil, and Baghdad. In addition, DART members are located in Kuwait, Jordan, Cyprus, and Qatar and are working closely with U.N. agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and in coordination with U.S. Military Civil Affairs (CA) personnel.

Northern Iraq

On May 5, the DART visited Mosul for the first time. The climate in the city is calm and citizen life appears vibrant and bustling. Delegates representing a cross-section of Mosul's religious and ethnic groups elected 24 town council representatives, an interim mayor who is a retired army general, and a deputy mayor on May 5. Kurdish residents forced out of villages by the former regime more than two decades ago are now beginning to return.

According to the World Food Program (WFP), in Mosul there is an estimated 11,000 metric tons (MT) of wheat flour, 640 MT of lentils, 91 MT of weaning cereal milk, and 600 MT of vegetable oil warehoused. The wheat flour is nearly half that of a normal monthly Public Distribution System allocation in the Ninawa governorate.

Southern Iraq

On May 4, the UN Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (UN OCHI) held the first coordination meeting among humanitarian actors in Al Basrah. A "U.N. Humanitarian Open Forum" will take place daily and provide an opportunity for the international community to exchange information and provide security updates.

Current Situation by Sector

Abuse Prevention

Since arriving in Arbil on April 29, DART/Abuse Prevention Unit (APU) has met with the International Rescue Committee (IRC); the International Medical Corps (IMC); the Ministry of Reconstruction and Development; Civil Affairs in Arbil, Kirkuk, and Mosul; the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); and U.N. agencies as well as other important humanitarian actors regarding displacement of people, reprisal killings, and other human rights abuses.

Food

WFP continues to face severe storage shortages in Baghdad at a time when shipments of food are flowing in to Iraq in preparation for ration distributions. The DART continues to work with the Coalition to gain approval for WFP-identified warehouses and securing of the warehouses. Further delays could result in WFP suspending its food deliveries until approval is granted.

On May 5, WFP loaded 650 MT of the bagged rice from the M/V Rise in the port of Umm Qasr onto thirteen 50-ton trucks. The trucks then traveled to An Nasiriyah and the rice was unloaded into a WFP warehouse for use in the Public Distribution System. In addition, about 900 MT of the rice has been offloaded and discharged into the warehouse at the port.

Education

According to UN OCHI, the Ministry of Education will reopen secondary schools on May 10, with universities scheduled to reopen on May 17. Primary schools reopened on May 4.

Health

On May 6, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the Ninewa Pharmaceutical Company in Mosul, Iraq's main factory for the production of intravenous fluids, was damaged and looted. In addition, the blood bank in Mosul has run out of reagents for screening blood for HIV. WHO is procuring reagents in Amman, Jordan and will send them to the three northern governorates on May 7.

U.S. Government Response (New information is underlined)

Emergency Relief

USAID/OFDA is supporting U.N. and NGO emergency assistance activities through quick-impact projects and IDP support. USAID/OFDA supports projects in the sectors of agriculture, food security, health, logistics, nutrition, shelter, and water/sanitation.

The DART/OFDA has approved an implementation plan for Save the Children/US through its partner, Save the Children/UK (SC/UK) to provide nutrition support two pediatric and maternity hospitals in Mosul. Support will include high protein biscuits, one therapeutic feeding kit for each hospital, and administrative and fuel support to the hospital. The program will benefit 400 severely and moderately malnourished children for three months until WFP and UNICEF are able to resume regular programs there.

The DART/OFDA has also approved an implementation plan for Save the Children/US through its partner, Save the Children/UK to provide emergency transportation support to primary health care teams in Mosul, and auxiliary health staff to Mosul's Al Atheer maternity and pediatric hospital. This support will replace vehicles lost to looting and enable health staff in conjunction with SC/UK to conduct assessments, respond to reports of communicable disease outbreak, and deliver needed drugs and equipment.

USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) is providing emergency food commodities through the Emerson Trust and P.L. 480 Title II emergency food assistance to WFP for distribution to food insecure Iraqis. WFP also received a cash contribution from USAID/FFP for the purchase of commodities in the region.

USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) is supporting the implementation of the Iraq Transition Initiative (ITI). The ITI program supports the process of political stabilization and community recovery in post-conflict Iraq by providing small grants designed to build confidence among Iraq's diverse ethnic groups, increase citizen participation in decision-making, and rapidly respond to community needs, while establishing and building trust for long term reconstruction efforts. The ITI program is implemented through Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The Department of State's Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (State/PRM) contributed assistance for the pre-positioning and emergency response activities of UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Reconstruction

In addition to the emergency relief assistance provided through the DART by USAID and the Department of State, USAID's Asia and Near East Bureau (USAID/ANE) has provided assistance for reconstruction activities in Iraq in a broad range of sectors. USAID supports reconstruction projects in education, governance, health, infrastructure, and logistics.

USAID has also deployed staff to the region to begin reconstruction efforts. Several USAID administrative, governance, health, infrastructure, and education have established offices in Baghdad, with several other personnel in Kuwait. USAID is assisting government ministries in becoming operational and public services to get restarted in Baghdad.

Other Donor and International Organization Assistance*

*This compilation was drawn from donor government web sites and may represent pledged or committed funding. The list may not be comprehensive.
** This total is approximate as the value of donated commodities is not available in some cases.

Public Donation Information

The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash donations to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. A list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting cash donations for their activities in the Gulf can be found in the "How Can I Help" section at [www.usaid.gov/iraq].

USAID encourages cash donations because they: allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as staff time, warehouse space, etc); can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region; ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance.

General information on making donations and volunteering can be found at:

• USAID: www.usaid.gov/iraq -> "How Can I Help?"
• The Center for International Disaster Information: www.cidi.org or 703-276-1914
• InterAction: www.interaction.org -> "Guide to Appropriate Giving"
• Information on relief activities of the humanitarian community can be found at www.reliefweb.org.

*Factsheets can be obtained from the USAID web site at http://www.usaid.gov/iraq

MAP - USG Humanitarian Assistance and Reconstruction activities in Iraq

(pdf* format - 146 KB)