Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Iraq + 5 more

Iraq: Humanitarian Situation Report No. 25

1 HIGHLIGHTS
North - Following the reports of murder, looting, and the forced expulsion of Arabs in northern Iraq, the United Nations Secretary General issued a statement on 17 April expressing his concern, and appealing to all concerned to respect fundamental human rights principles.

The 747 ex-Iraqi soldiers, who had surrendered to the local authorities since the beginning of the current conflict, and who were given shelter in Ashkawtawan camp, have now returned to their places of origin.

The UN staff due to return to northern Iraq remains on standby pending flight clearances.

Baghdad Despite coalition and Iraqi police patrols, security in Baghdad continues to be problematic. A DART team reports that they were ambushed and insecurity remains a key constraint for agencies resuming operations.

A WFP 52 vehicle convoy carrying 1400 MT wheat flour arrived today in Baghdad from Jordan.

South - Following the successful UN security assessment, the first interagency humanitarian mission took place 19 April to Nassriyah.

Jordan - Increasing numbers of asylum seekers continue to arrive at the border between Iraq and Jordan. UNHCR reports that there are over 600 people stranded in No-Man's Land.

2 HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN IRAQ

2.1 TABLE OF ASSISTANCE

FOOD
Item
Quantities delivered
(MT)
Cumulative totals (MT)
since 31/03/03
Location
Remarks
Wheat flour
1848*
3548*
Northern Iraq
WFP. For distribution in the three northern governorates.
Dried Milk
77
77
Northern Iraq
WFP

* N.B. This figure reflects quantities unloaded at warehouses. The total wheat flour dispatched to Iraq from Turkey amount to 9864MT

2.2 AFFECTED POPULATIONS

Third Country Nationals (as of 17 April - IOM)
Location
In transit
Departed
Camp population
Jordan
1492
1209
283
Syria
497
368
129
Iran
144
144
TOTALS
2133
1721
412

IDP population (as of 16 April - UNOPS assessment)
Governorate
Size of IDP Population
Number of IDP Families
No. of IDPs in:
Public Buildings
Host Families
Open Air
Erbil
3,414
423
63
2,604
747
Dahuk
6,379
980
615
5,538
226
Sulaymaniyah
54
10
35
19
Totals
9,847
1,413
678
8,177
992

2.3 OPERATIONAL ISSUES

NORTH (Erbil, Dahuk, Sulaymaniyah)

Facilitated returns for the remaining IDPs in the north are on hold until security conditions are met in areas of return.

Given the resumption of schooling, repairs of WATSAN facilities have taken place in a number of schools previously occupied by the IDPs.

UNOPS Mine Action Programme (MAP) has continued its activities. Between 18 March and 15 April, 29 teams conducted Mine Risk Education Education (MRE) throughout the three northern governorates and permanently marked a total of 27 minefields covering 20 villages and encompassing an area of 1, 919,849 square metres.

Erbil - The 747 ex-Iraqi soldiers, who had surrendered to the local authorities since the beginning of the current conflict, and who were given shelter in Ashkawtawan camp, have now been able to leave and return to their places of origin. The local authorities and an NGO facilitated their return to the centre and south.

Sulaymaniyah - There is only one IDP family remaining in Bazyan camp. The campsite has been mostly dismantled.

CENTRAL (Ninewa, Tameem, Salah al-Din)

Unlike in the northern governorates no students have yet returned to school in the centre/south.

An ICRC team visited the towns of Khanaqeen and Jalawla in order to assess the humanitarian situation. The team noted an urgent need for potable water due to problems with the electricity supply and the chlorination devices in the main water distribution stations. The hospitals are still functioning and there is no urgent need for relief items.

Ninewa - An ICRC team visited Mosul for a partial evaluation of the health situation. They described the city as tense following recent demonstrations. The ICRC visited the two main hospitals and noted that hospital security is provided by peshmergas. Many of the installations had been looted and damaged. The hospitals, however, have clean water, as there is a partial power supply via the city network, supplemented by power from back-up generators. By 17 April, 90% of staff had returned to their duties. The intensive care units are functioning and the wards are coping with the influx of patients. On 18 April, the ICRC delivered medical supplies.

Telephones are only working in some parts of town.

The HOC reported that power supplies are reduced due to problems with the gas pipeline.

There are reports that looting continues, and violent acts of revenge are taking place in the city, the extent of which is not clear. The United Nations Secretary General issued a statement on 17 April expressing his concern in this regard, and appealing to all concerned to respect fundamental human rights principles.

Tameem - The HOC has reported that power in Kirkuk has been restored. Like Mosul, violent acts of revenge are taking place.

BAGHDAD (Baghdad, Anbar, Diyala)

Baghdad - In Baghdad, ICRC conducted further hospital assessments on 17 and 18 April. The prime concern is security, followed by lack of water, electricity, and medical supplies. Order and stability are a prerequisite for patients, staff and humanitarian workers to have safe access to hospitals and health centres. Following an appeal by religious leaders, people are returning stolen medicines and materials to hospitals throughout Baghdad. These returns have become the main source of supply to hospitals.

Water and electricity supplies are improving, but the situation is still critical. The ICRC engineers, together with local technicians, have successfully re-established the water supply to hospitals in the Al-Sadr area of Baghdad (formerly Saddam City) and continued the repair and servicing of water treatment facilities and water pipes. Water-tankers are bringing potable water to parts of Baghdad not connected to the mains, including Al-Obedia, Zafaraniya and Al-Rashad.

A WFP 52 vehicle convoy carrying wheat flour arrived today in Baghdad from Jordan.

A DART team was ambushed during a 3 day mission to Baghdad last week. Reportedly, the coalition will establish security in 10 of the hospitals of Baghdad. The coalition reiterated that security remains volatile but that joint US/Iraqi patrolling continues in the city. Wealthy suburban areas are still prone to looting while poorer areas have seen clashes between different groups.

According to the HOC, 200 employees at the power plant have returned to work, and many Iraqis are reported to have approached the coalition's civil military operations centre (CMOC) to offer assistance in rebuilding public facilities.

UPPER SOUTH (Najaf, Qadissiya, Wassit, Babil, Kerbala)

Wassit - HOC reported that Al Kut has no power as the transmission lines are destroyed. Petrol stocks, however, will only cover three days normal consumption.

LOWER SOUTH (Basrah, Missan, Muthanna, Thi-Qar)

UNICEF is looking at how best to address the problems of distributing water supplies in Iraqi communities, in order to deal with the 'mobbing - of the tankers by local people.

Basrah - Additional ICRC staff have moved from Kuwait to Basrah City to assess the economic situation and the possibility to start activities to enable separated families re-establish contact. ICRC reports that most shops remain closed in the city fearing looting and as elsewhere in the country, water and electricity are the main needs. In Basrah City the coalition forces have set up an Interim Advisory Council, which aims to facilitate the quick re-establishment of basic services with the help of Iraqi staff.

The HOC reports the following:

- A critical need for petrol for private and commercial transport in Basrah
- The reopening of the local Police Station in Nassriyah with 200 police officers in charge of security issues and traffic control.
- No power and water in An Numaniyah and the local hospital is only able to treat life threatening injuries, due to lack of staff and medical supplies

Following a positive security assessment of Nassriyah on 15 April, an inter-agency mission conducted the first humanitarian assistance mission on 19 April. Report awaited.

2.4 CIVIL MILITARY COORDINATION

CENTCOM has approved the use of Thuraya satellite phones in Iraq.

3 HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES

3.1 IRAN

A revised Operations Plan for trans-border operations will be finalized this week, with input from UN agencies, IOs and NGOs. UNJLC and OCHA are promoting the establishment of an operational centre in Kermanshah to assist UN and NGOs in planning trans-border operations.

WFP reports that a first test convoy is being prepared for transport of 200 MT of vegetable oil from Kermanshah, to Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq. ICRC reports that its second convoy crossed successfully from Iran to the north of Iraq, 15 April, carrying NFIs to Diyana, Erbil. A UNICEF convoy of 11 trucks, also successfully completed a delivery of water to Al Fao, crossing the Iranian border at Shalamchah on Friday 18 April.

Other humanitarian convoys carrying food items and medical kits are currently held up at the border in Penjwin and Mehran.

INTERSOS is suspending its mission in Iran and relocating its team to Amman and Baghdad.

3.2 JORDAN

There are now 641 people, mostly Iranian refugees of Kurdish ethnicity from Al Tash refugee camp, in No-Man's-Land between Jordan and Iraq; an increase of 200% since 17 April. UNHCR is continuing to work with the Jordanian authorities to resolve the issue. Although basic services are being provided there is still a concern with sanitation as numbers grow. MSF is providing health care facilities.

3.3 KUWAIT

An air shipment with 19 MTs of medical supplies, food and Non-Food Items landed in Kuwait on 16 April, donated to the UN by the Romanian Government. The shipment is offloaded, and is awaiting clearance.

Further requirements have been added to the border crossing procedures for the Kuwaiti/Iraqi border. Kuwaiti authorities now require a form containing the name, passport number and nationality of the person crossing the border, filled in and stamped at the HOC in order to allow passage. Some exceptional arrangements for agency local contractors have been requested.

3.4 SAUDI ARABIA

The first Saudi relief convoy for Iraq, consisting of trucks carrying food, medicine and water, was sent to Basrah yesterday. This follows the endorsement last week of the Saudi Council of Ministers for a comprehensive plan to provide humanitarian aid to the Iraqis.

The UN is following up with the GoKSA to obtain a blanket authorisation for overflight and landing permits for UN humanitarian operations.

3.5 SYRIA

Syrian border crossings remain open for cross border operations for humanitarian supplies both by the UN organizations and by NGOs. International NGOs wishing to transport supplies through Syria into Iraq are facilitated by the Syrian Red Crescent Society (SARC). A number of NGOs are crossing into Iraq from Syria, most recently MDM Greece which took food, water and medicines, MSF France with medical and WATSAN supplies to Mosul and MECC to Mosul on 8 April 2003 which returned back to Syria through the Yaroubia border crossing.

A number of NGOs have said that the road to Baghdad from An Tanf border crossing is safe except the area around Ramadi near Baghdad. NGOs recommend a 3 hour detour through Kerbala. This road is also damaged near Rutba, almost 200 km from the Syrian border, but a detour is possible. The coalition has not yet declared this road permissive. The UN will shortly conduct its own security assessment of this area.