Background
The Logistics Cluster has been active in Iraq since 2014 to support the humanitarian community in responding to the country’s ongoing needs.
Logistics constraints, mainly caused by limited access, an unstable security situation and damaged/destroyed infrastructure in affected areas, remain a leading cause triggering the need for Logistics Cluster intervention.
Since the operation to retake Mosul began in October 2016, the Logistics Cluster has significantly scaled up activities across the country, mainly in the Ninewa Governorate. The Logistics Cluster has been conducting a range of activities aimed at addressing bottlenecks and gaps to enhance the response capacity of the humanitarian community through the provision of logistics services, coordination and information management. The cluster has now extended activities to cover the responses in Telafar, Hawija and West Anbar.
Highlights
• In November, the Logistics Cluster received for storage 2,509 mt, equivilant to 7,188 m3, of humanitarian relief items on behalf of eight organisations. As of 30 November, the Logistics Cluster is facilitating 24,200 m² of common storage space in 16 locations in key operational areas for the use of humanitarian actors in Iraq.
• On 20 – 22 November, the Logistics Cluster took part in an inter-agency mission to Al Qaim in western Anbar; a findings report was shared with cluster partners. While access to the area is not difficult, there are currently limited local logistics capacities in Al Qaim. The cluster visited servicible hard-structure warehouses, identified key logistics gaps and met with key officials on matters such as access approvals and infrastructure.
• The Logistics Cluster produced guidance documents on the import process into Baghdad International Airport and onward transport to the KRI, as well as importation into the KRI through Turkey and the use of the Um Qasr seaport.
• Throughout November, the Logistics Cluster continued to liaise closely with civil-military, security and access focal points, in order to gather and share real-time logistics constraints with partners through the Skype group.
• On 7 November, the Logistics Cluster joined a mission to the Fishkhabor border crossing with Syria. The crossing was reportedly operating as normal and a number of humanitarian organisations were present, preparing to cross into north east Syria.