UNICEF Emergency Programmes: Iraq Donor Update 8 Aug 2000

I. EMERGENCY OVERVIEW AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Under-five mortality rates more than double

A UN report (October 1991), described Iraq in early/mid-1980s as a state rapidly approaching the standards of developed countries. The country had an elaborate health care system, a modern telecommunication network, 24 electrical power generation stations, sophisticated water treatment plants and potable water for the large majority of the population. In August 1999, UNICEF and the Government of Iraq released the first surveys of child mortality in Iraq since 1991. The survey in the 15 governorates of the south and centre of Iraq, with government partnership and WHO technical support, showed under-5 mortality to have risen from 56 to 131deaths per 1000 live births between 1984-89 and 1994-99. Infant mortality had risen from 47 to 108 deaths per 1000 live births during the same period.

Entrenched child malnutrition

One in five children under-5 in the south and centre of Iraq are malnourished. To help the Government address this, UNICEF has exerted extra efforts to support the launch and acceleration of a targeted nutrition programme. Special protein rich food has been ordered for the programme including therapeutic milk and high protein biscuits to meet the needs of malnourished children, and pregnant and lactating mothers.

The education sector in serious decline

Investment in education under the first four phases of the Oil for Food Programme averaged just US$ 23 million a year compared to the Government’s annual allocation of US$ 230 million in the mid-1980s. As a result, schools are not being maintained and repaired and experience severe shortages of basic school supplies, classroom furniture, textbooks and teaching aids. Lack of adequate investment in teacher training, and adequate teaching and learning materials have seriously impacted on the overall quality of education. Teachers' salaries are grossly inadequate. This grim situation has prompted an increasing number of qualified teachers to leave the sector in search of better-paid jobs. This has also been reflected in school entry rates: only 66.8 % of male and 66.6 % of female students at the age of six have been enrolled in 1999 against 88 % and 87 % respectively in 1991.

Social services declining rapidly: children at high risk of disease and health hazards

Access to safe water in urban areas has dropped to 94 % from 100 %, while the drop at rural level was more drastic from 71% to 41%. Per capita share of safe clean water also decreased from 330 to 218 litres per day in Baghdad where close to 5.5 million people live. In other urban areas the decrease has been from 270 to 171 litres per day. In rural areas, the capita share dropped from 18 to less than 91 litres per day. Causes of this deterioration include ageing equipment, lack of spare parts and poor maintenance. Another important factor is the lack of new projects in the face of population growth over the past ten years. Iraq's total population has increased by 6.3 million since 1991. Water quality has also deteriorated as water quality results (reported by Ministry of Health/World Health Organization) have shown high levels of contamination. In the southern governorates of Basra and Thinner 40 % of water samples were found to be contaminated.

The sanitation situation is also serious: power cuts long and regular

Upto 250-300 tons of solid untreated raw sewerage is discharged directly into rivers each day. Only 25 % of the population are served by piped sewerage systems. Power cuts of up to 12 hours a day have also severely disrupt services.

II. UNICEF’S RESPONSE: ACTIVITIES, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND CONSTRAINTS

UNICEF’s programme in Iraq has focussed on arresting the rate of decline in child survival and malnutrition and working to reverse the trend in selected geographic risk areas. The programme implementation consist of has three strategic priorities:

• assessment studies to monitor impact of the situation on children and contribute to UNICEF's advocacy;
• use of resources to complement and supplement the Oil for Food Programme by providing critical cash for distribution and installation of humanitarian goods and supplies and supporting training and capacity building;
• support service delivery in high-risk areas.

The use of country programme resources to complement shortcomings of the Oil for Food Programme in the south and centre of Iraq (notably lack of cash for transportation of equipment and supplies) has remained a very successful strategy and well appreciated. However, the inadequacy and the short-term, ad hoc nature of the Oil for Food Programme and ensuing deterioration in social sector planning are critical constraints to efficient programme interventions in the target areas. The overall isolation of the country and "brain drain" of the last decade has also taken a heavy toll on the availability of well-qualified staff, as well as capacity and motivation for innovation in counterpart institutions. This has been compounded by extremely vertical and centralised sectoral line Ministries, impeding attempts to improve cross-sectoral integration of programmes, as well as convergence of interventions at field level.

The full achievement of programme and project objectives has also been negatively affected by very limited donor support. Only 25% of the Other Resources ceiling are presently funded. With a utilization rate of 88% for Other Resources in 1999, the country programme faces a serious resource crunch for next year.

III. APPEAL REQUIREMENTS, RECEIPTS AND CURRENT NEEDS

The table and graph below show the contributions for various sectors. Accordingly, the health segment has received the highest level of funding (61%), followed by water & sanitation (30%). The funding response for child protection (16%) and education (14%) has been low.

(PBA GP 99-8151: MICS Multi Indicator Cluster Survey 2 activities will be deducted from Unfunded Programme)

(PBA GP 00-8022: This allocation for Immunization (EPI) activities will be deducted from Unfunded Programme)

Donor Funds available for 2000 (Carry over from Year 1999 + OR Funds for Year 2000)

IV. IMPACT OF UNDER-FUNDING

The Country programme is facing a serious resource crunch. This is not only hindering UNICEF’s ability to implement its own Programme of Cooperation with the Government, but is also seriously impacting UNICEF’s ability to assist with the implementation of the Oil for Food Programme by supplying cash for the transportation and installation of supplies, and training. As the Oil for Food Programme has no cash component in the centre-south region - the impact of under-funding of the UNICEF programme takes on far larger implications in these areas.

Examples of activities on hold due to lack of funds include:

Details of the Iraq Programme can be obtained from:

Ms Anupama Rao Singh
UNICEF Representative
Iraq
Tel: + 964 1 7192318
Fax: + 873 761 473 375
E-mail: araosingh@unicef.org

Robin Medforth-Mills
UNICEF EMOPS
Geneva
Tel: + 41 22 909 5554
Fax: + 41 22 909 5902

Alejandro Palacios
UNICEF PFO
New York
Tel: + 1 212 326 7009
Fax: + 1 212 326 7165
E-mail: apalacios@unicef.org

For more information on UNICEF, visit its website at http://www.unicef.org