Iraq - Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet #42, Fiscal Year (FY) 2003

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

Current Situation (Updated Daily)

Regional Updates

Baghdad and Central Iraq

DART members met with the World Food Program (WFP) and the Ministry of Trade (MOT) representatives in Al Hillah on May 26 to discuss the June ration distribution. Currently wheat flour, rice, sugar, tea, and soap are available but there is a current shortage of vegetable oil, pulses, and other commodities. WFP reported that flour is abundantly available on the markets but at prohibitively high prices.

The Al Hillah silo manager informed DART members that the Al Hillah governor has instituted a new procedure whereby the MOT must request the governor's approval of spare parts expenditures for the silo. This adds five or more days to the spare parts procurement process.

WFP identified 20,000 metric tons (MT) of additional storage capacity in Baghdad over the weekend, which more than doubles the previously confirmed capacity. However, the storage required in Baghdad is approximately 100,000 MT, leaving a 60,000 MT shortfall.

On May 26, DART members visited the WFP offices in Karbala to discuss the start of the June public distribution system (PDS). The local MOT ration and registration center, the Grain Board, the monitoring office, and the food store are operational and ready for an early June distribution. WFP staff reported that Karbala's main food warehouse is currently in short supply of vegetable oil, pulses, adult milk, salt, and weaning cereal. A delayed distribution start date of approximately June 7 may be necessary to wait for the delivery of the additional commodities to complete the ration basket.

Several general shutdowns of the electrical grid occurred during the past several days as a result of too much load being drawn by the city of Karbala. The electricity manager in Karbala attempted to rectify the problem by turning off all of the feeder lines to the cement factory, calcium carbonate factory, two brick factories, and a local dairy in the city, whose load drawn represents roughly 50 megawatts (MW), or one third of the total needs of the city. Approximately 2,000 jobs were affected. In addition, the U.S. military has provided $3,700 to complete the repairs on six vehicles owned by the electric utility in Karbala.

Following assessments, International Rescue Committee (IRC) reports there is no public health emergency in Karbala or An Najaf Governorates. Instead, vulnerable groups suffer from preventable, chronic health problems that IRC plans to address through disease surveillance, immunization, and maternal child health initiatives, among others.

Northern Iraq

Work has begun on the renovation of the Kirkuk Central Fire Department, supported by the USAID/Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI). The fire department was heavily looted and damaged after the fall of the regime. This project will renovate the facility, replace office furnishings and some equipment, and provide office supplies so that the fire department can begin functioning effectively.

USAID/OTI is providing a small grant to the Kirkuk Water Testing Facility to furnish various supplies and equipment to enable the facility to resume conducting water quality testing and improve the quality of water in Kirkuk. This facility is the only water-testing site in Kirkuk Governorate, and due to a lack of testing supplies and equipment, all water samples must currently be sent to As Sulaymaniyah for testing.

The Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) reported on May 27 that telecommunications workers in the Kirkuk region have threatened to leave their jobs and shut down telephone offices because they have not been paid.

Following incidents of insecurity in Kirkuk and recent looting of MOT stocks, newly arrived Coalition forces are now guarding WFP's warehouse and its perimeter in order to deter potential looters.

Southern Iraq

DART members visited Ad Diwaniyah, Qadisiyah Governorate during May 21-22 and learned that basic services, such as electricity, water, health care, and the PDS, have returned to pre-war levels, but remain chronically vulnerable. An immediate humanitarian emergency is not occurring at this time. Continuing problems such as limited staff salaries, lack of essential drugs, and insecurity at the Maternal and Child Hospital, for example, occurred during pre-war times.

On May 27, the Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) Engineering Cell met with Kuwait Ministry of Electricity and Water representatives to review water sample results from Al Basrah Governorate. Water from the Shatt Al Arab canal is not a suitable source for feed water for the reverse osmosis desalinization (RO) unit's being offered by the Government of Kuwait. However, well water in Umm Qasr is a suitable source. Six of the eight donated RO Units have been unassembled in Kuwait and await transport to sites in Iraq once feed water sources have been identified.

Sector Updates

Abuse Prevention

On May 20, the Abuse Prevention Unit (APU) visited Domiz, near Dohuk in northern Iraq, to investigate land conflicts stemming from forced "Arabization" process of Saddam Hussein's regime and subsequent attempts by both Kurds and Arabs to reclaim their homes.

According to U.S. soldiers, approximately 300 demonstrators arrived in Domiz on May 19 to protest the Arab presence in the town.

On May 24, the APU led the newly arrived British forensic group "In Force" to the mass gravesite near Musayeb, where the local population had been digging since May 12, removing bodies, trying to identify victims, and taking bodies to the town's youth center. A total of 417 bodies have been found, and identification cards have positively identified 117. Thirty to forty volunteers work the day at the gravesite. The forensic group conducted a thorough assessment and believes there are at least four additional trenches in the area that may contain approximately 100 remains each.

Food

The M/V Katharina arrived in Tartous, Syria last week with 14,000 MT of rice purchased through a $200 million grant with USAID's Office of Food for Peace. Much of the rice was dispatched to Iraq during the weekend. Similarly, the M/V Thor Mariner arrived in Umm Qasr last week with another 14,000 MT rice purchase that continues to be unloaded.

On May 26, the World Food Program (WFP) dispatched 21,745 MT of commodities through Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Iran, and Iraq. A total of 360,365 MT have been dispatched through these six corridors.

WFP has confirmed that the wheat harvest will be purchased from Iraqi farmers at a rate of $105 per metric ton for the highest-grade product. This function is being set up as a last resort for farmers, who are welcome to seek higher prices, in an effort to stimulate local economic activity.

Infrastructure

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that on May 22, Baghdad received 1,000 million liters of water, which is 50 percent of the pre-war level. Baghdad received 707 megawatts of power, which is 36 percent of required demand. CENTCOM also reported that the volume of sewage spilling into the streets was 30 percent of previous levels in the past 24 hours following repairs to two sewage pumps. In addition, 82,000 cubic meters of the estimated 300,000 cubic meters of backlogged trash have been removed from city streets.

Transportation

Following a meeting with Jordanian officials, AirServ International restarted humanitarian air service from Amman, Jordan to Baghdad and cities in northern Iraq on May 27.

Current Reconstruction Situation (Updated Daily)

Regional Updates

Umm Qasr

USAID and its private sector partner Bechtel are working to procure generators for the grain silos, but estimate that it could be the end of June before bulk grain can be offloaded at the silos. This is due to wrecks still located in the area of the grain silo pier and the need to repair the silos.

Sector Updates

Airport

USAID private sector partner Skylink is quickly moving forward with preparations to operate and manage the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) in light of the pressing need to reopen BIAP to limited commercial traffic on June 15. USAID/Bechtel will construct a temporary passenger terminal away from the main terminal, as part of the interim airport operation and Skylink subcontractor, Global Securities, will provide passenger and baggage screening security facilities.

Food

A WFP vessel is scheduled to dock at the Umm Qasr port on May 30 with 9,500 MT of bulk wheat. This shipment will be offloaded using portable vacuators into trucks for immediate dispatch.

Infrastructure

USAID/Bechtel and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently evaluated the Baghdad-area power plants to find a way to bring as many megawatts to the grid as possible before the beginning of the summer peak. The five plants studied were South Baghdad, Doura, Taji, Al Qudas; and Moussaib.

Despite on-going repairs, a number of factors could jeopardize the power situation for the Baghdad region. These factors include: the demand for power in Baghdad is in excess of the regional generation and is expected to rise throughout the summer; other regions in Iraq which were previously net exporters of power and suffered from severe load restrictions may not be able to share power equitably across the country; many of the generating facilities around Baghdad are old and lack regular maintenance and are not be expected to operate reliably throughout the summer; security of the transmission lines cannot be readily guaranteed and much of the generation in the Baghdad area is dependent on natural gas as a fuel and is subject to unavailability caused by low gas pressure in the pipeline network.

USAID and its private sector partner Bechtel are preparing evaluation data for the reconstruction of 1,600 school buildings to begin in two weeks, of which 500 are located in Baghdad, another 500 in Basra, and the remainder is dispersed throughout the country.

USAID partner Bechtel hosted the third vendor conference in Kuwait City and more than 2,000 people attended representing 1,500 firms. Two separate sessions were held and the majority of the firms represented were from the Middle East region.

Population Movement

On May 24, the Ministry of Reconstruction and Development (MORAD) hosted a weekly coordination meeting where the U.N. Office of Program Services (UNOPS) representative presented the results of a recent survey of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in public buildings. The early May survey reported 13,359 IDP families living in 300 public buildings in Dahuk, Arbil, and As Sulaymaniyah Governorates. According to the results of the survey, 66 percent of respondents said that the most important condition for their return is shelter. After shelter, respondents cited security (12 percent), employment (9 percent), and legal claims (4 percent). Only 0.3 percent cited food as a condition. In terms of where they will resettle, 69 percent of the respondents want to return to their place of origin, while 19 percent want to be resettled where they currently live, and 12 percent want to go to a third location.

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

Emergency Relief

USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is supporting U.N. and NGO emergency assistance activities through quick-impact projects and internally displaced persons (IDP) support. USAID/OFDA supports projects in the sectors of agriculture, food security, health, logistics, nutrition, shelter, and water and sanitation.

USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) is providing emergency food commodities through the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust (BEHT) 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/Office of Transition Initiatives (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). In addition, USAID/OTI works with the Broadcasting Board of Governors to enhance the capacity of Radio SAWA to broadcast humanitarian and reconstruction reporting.

USAID/OTI is developing an initiative to help provide equipment and supplies to fire departments in Iraq's five largest cities: Kirkuk, Mosul, Baghdad, An Nasiriyah, and Al Basrah.

The Department of State's Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (State/PRM) contributed assistance for the pre-positioning and emergency response activities of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (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).

The twelve-month community action program (CAP) is intended to promote diverse and representative citizen participation in and among impoverished communities throughout Iraq, and will identify and address critical reconstruction and development needs.

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 awarded the following grants to five NGOs through the CAP; Save the Children Federation, Inc., International Relief and Development, Inc (IRD), ACDI/VOCA, Cooperative Housing Foundation International (CHF International) and Mercy Corps. Each grant is worth $7 million. The grants are effective as of May 16.

USAID awarded the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) a grant of $1 million initially to provide immediate support to basic education in Iraq by revising, editing, printing, and distributing primary and secondary math and science school textbooks in three phases.

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 in northern Iraq.

In 1996, the Government of Iraq accepted the 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. 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 deployed a multi-agency Disaster Assistance Response Team 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, Baghdad, and Al Hillah. In addition, DART members are located in Kuwait and Cyprus, and are working closely with U.N. agencies, NGOs, and in coordination with U.S. Military Civil Affairs personnel.

*This compilation was drawn from the Department of State tracking of donor government 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

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