الوكالة الأمريكية للتنمية — العراق: نشرة حقائق رقم 25، 30 آذار 2004

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION AND HUMANITARIAN RELIEF March 30, 2004 Weekly Update #25, Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 This fact sheet highlights overall accomplishments and some weekly activities from USAID’s reconstruction efforts in Iraq. For more information on USAID’s programs in Iraq please see: www.usaid.gov/iraq Program Overview: USAID assists Iraqis in reconstructing their country by working within the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). USAID programs are implemented in coordination with the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Coalition country partners, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector partners. The USAID Mission in Iraq carries out programs in education, health care, food security, infrastructure reconstruction, airport and seaport management, economic growth, community development, local governance, and transition initiatives. The USAID Mission in Iraq implements programs in four strategic areas: 1. Restoring Essential Infrastructure 2. Supporting Essential Health and Education 3. Expanding Economic Opportunity 4. Improving Efficiency and Accountability of Government To date, more than 180 Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company (ITPC) employees have received over 15,000 hours of training on operations at Iraq’s telecommunications sites. Specific training topics have included: switch system analysis, operations and maintenance; transmission system equipment and system maintenance; and satellite gateway operations and engineering. Photo: USAID Table of Contents Program Overview 1 Economic Growth 9 Electricity 2 Food Security 10 Airports 3 Agriculture 11 Bridges, Roads, and Railroads 3 Marshlands 11 Umm Qasr Seaport 4 Local Governance 12 Telecommunications 4 Transition Initiatives 13 Water and Sanitation 5 Community Action Program 14 Health 6 Financial Summary 15 Education 7 1 Program Descriptions and Accomplishments 1. Restore Essential Infrastructure Electricity -- Objectives include the emergency repair or rehabilitation of power generation facilities and electrical grids. Teams of engineers from the Ministry of Electricity, USAID, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the CPA have been working since May to restore capacity to Iraq’s power system, which was dilapidated from decades of neglect, mismanagement, and looting. Accomplishments to Date: • Generated 4,518 MW on October 6—surpassing the pre- war level of 4,400 MW. Average production over the last seven days was 4,108 MW. • Generated 98,917 MW hours on February 14—the highest since reconstruction began. • Installed independent sources of power at Baghdad International Airport and Umm Qasr seaport. • Collaborating with Bechtel, CPA, and Task Force Restore Iraqi Electricity on projects to repair thermal units, replace and repair turbines, rehabilitate the transmission network, and install and restore generators. This collaboration is expected to produce 2,152 MW of incremental capacity. o USAID is adding 1,201 MW of capacity by summer The foundation for the new V64 generator at Kirkuk substation. Photo: USAID 2004 through maintenance, rehabilitation, and new generation projects. o USAID’s portion of the work includes: o Rehabilitating units 5 and 6 at Doura thermal power plant. o Rehabilitating units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 at Bayji thermal power plant. o Continuing reconstruction of the country’s 400-kv transmission network by rebuilding 220 kilometers of Khor Az Zubayr-Nasiriyah 400-kv line. o Installing new generating capacity at Kirkuk and South Baghdad power plants. Highlights this Week: • The foundation for the V64 and V94.3 generators at the Kirkuk substation in northern Iraq have been poured. The V64 generator and turbine, which will generate 65 MW of power, just arrived this past week and will be installed in approximately three weeks upon completion of the foundation. The V94.3A, which will add 260 MW, has arrived in port in Syria and is awaiting transportation to the project site. • USAID partner Bechtel awarded a fixed-price, turnkey contract to General Electric to install two new 106- MW combustion turbines at Baghdad South power station. The site-specific safety plan has been approved, and a letter of award was signed on March 10. Work has already begun on clearing the site and preparing the piling work for the installation of the generators. Prior to installation of the units, 543 pilings—concrete and steel rods which stabilize the foundation—will be driven into the ground and a concrete foundation will be poured. • Rehabilitation of Doura units 5 and 6 is continuing and is on schedule to be completed by June and July 2004, respectively. To date, the valve assessment—determining the necessary level of repairs for the units—is complete, and work on the disassembly, repair, and restoration of valves has commenced. 2 Airports -- Objectives include: providing material and personnel for the timely repair of damaged airport facilities, rehabilitating airport terminals, facilitating humanitarian and commercial flights, and preparing the eventual handover of airport operations to the Iraqi Airport Commission Authority. Baghdad International Airport has been refurbished and repaired with assistance from USAID and CPA. Photo: Thomas Hartwell Accomplishments to Date: • Processing an average of 20 non-military arrivals and departures a day at Baghdad International Airport. o More than 5,000 military and NGO flights have arrived and departed at Baghdad International Airport since July 2003. • Completed infrastructure work to prepare Baghdad International Airport for commercial air operations. o Repaired Terminal C and administration offices. o Installed three X-ray machines. o Installed very small aperture terminal (VSAT) communications systems and new diesel powered generators, allowing Iraqi airport control centers to communicate. o Rehabilitated Iraqi customs office in the arrival hall. • Rehabilitated Baghdad International Airport’s East Fire Station; airport fire protection training for a team of more than 80 Iraqis is ongoing. • Preparing Al Basrah International Airport for commercial operations. Ongoing projects include: o Repairing runway, taxiway, and apron striping. o Installing two baggage x-ray units. o Repairing passenger support facilities. o Installing VSAT satellite communications. o Installing security fence. o Repairing airport water and sewage treatment plants. • Completed evaluation of reconstruction requirements at Mosul Airport. Bridges and Railroads -- Objectives include: rehabilitating and repairing damaged transportation systems, especially the most economically critical networks. Accomplishments to Date: Bridges: • Demolished irreparable sections of three key bridges (Khazir, Tikrit, and Al Mat) and started reconstruction. o Al Mat Bridge: A key link on Highway 10 that carries over 3,000 trucks daily on the main route between Baghdad and Jordan. • Work was completed, and the four-lane bridge was reopened to two-way traffic on March 3. o Khazir Bridge: Critical to the flow of fuel and agricultural products to the north. • Repaired the south span of the bridge—two of the bridge’s four lanes—and reopened it for two- way traffic on January 16. Complete repairs are expected by April 2004. o Tikrit Bridge: An important link for passengers and commerce over the Tigris River between Tikrit and Tuz Khurmatu. • On the upstream side of Pier 7, steel beams have been erected and dowels are installed. Work is expected to finish in May 2004. • Repaired a floating bridge on the Tigris River in Al Kut, improving traffic for approximately 50,000 travelers a day. 3 Railroads: • Iraqi Republican Railways (IRR) contributes equipment and labor, while USAID contributes project management, material, and parts. Work on the railways includes: o Repairing 16 km of track at the port of Umm Qasr and 56 km of track between the port and Shuiaba Junction near Basrah to facilitate cargo shipments, including foodstocks, from the seaport to mills. o Completed explosive ordinance disposal at all 53 sites of the rail line project near Shuiaba Junction (Al Basrah Governorate) in preparation for installation of new track. Highlights this Week: • New culvert construction and embankment work is underway along the 72 kilometers of track located between the port of Umm Qasr and Shuiaba junction near Basrah, which is being rehabilitated by USAID partner Bechtel. Currently, workers are compacting the existing embankment and filling in loose sections. The buildup of the soil embankment and construction of culverts, which provide drainage through the embankment, are preparing for the stone foundation which will support the new rail track. Umm Qasr Seaport -- Objectives include: managing port administration, coordinating transport from the seaport, and facilitating cargo-handling services such as warehousing, shipment tracking, and storage. Accomplishments to Date: • Reopened to commercial traffic June 17; completed first passenger vessel test on July 16. • Offloading cargo from 40 to 50 cargo ships per month. • Dredged the port to an average depth of 12.5 meters. Previously, the port was 9-10 meters deep, and limited cargo could arrive only during high tide. o An Iraqi dredger, which has been rehabilitated by USAID, will assist in maintaining the harbor. • Renovated grain-receiving facility, which can process up to 600 metric tons of grain an hour. • Instituted interim port tariffs, which provide a revenue stream for financially sustainable port operations. • Installed generators, energizing all three 11-kv ring mains which distribute electricity throughout the port. A ship unloads at Umm Qasr grain-receiving facility. Photo: USAID • Completed security fencing at the old and new ports and grain facility. • Completed the renovation of the administration building, passenger terminal and customs hall building and continuing the renovation of the electrical substations. • Employing 500 Iraqi staff, the majority of which are in the Marine Department of the Port Authority. Telecommunications -- Objectives include: installing switches to restore service to 240,000 telephone lines in Baghdad area, and repairing the nation’s fiber optic network from north of Mosul through Baghdad and Nasiriyah to Umm Qasr. Accomplishments to Date: • Handed over the Al Mamoun Telecommunications site to the Ministry of Communications on February 26. Twelve new telephone switches and an International Satellite Gateway have been integrated with fourteen Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company (ITPC) switches. • Purchased tools, equipment, and parts to enable Iraqi engineers to restore the network. o Audited over 1,200 km of the fiber optic backbone network. o Repairing the national fiber optic network from Mosul to Umm Qasr, connecting 20 cities to Baghdad. 4 • Reconstituting Baghdad area phone service by installing switches with 240,000 lines of capacity. Installed new switches and main distribution frames at 12 sites. o Baghdad’s largest exchange, Al Mamoun, opened on December 13. Nearly 130,000 individual subscriber lines are now active; work to allow final activation for all subscribers is underway. o Completed installation of a satellite gateway system at Al Mamoun and restored international calling service to Iraq on December 30. o Al Mamoun was handed over to the Ministry of Communications on February 26. • Training Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company operators and engineers at Al Mamoun on telecommunications site operations, maintenance, and repairs. Highlights this Week: • To date, more than 180 Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company (ITPC) employees have received over 15,000 hours of training on operations at Iraq’s telecommunications sites. Specific training topics have included: switch system analysis, operations and maintenance; transmission system equipment and system maintenance; and satellite gateway operations and engineering. Water and Sanitation -- Objectives include: rehabilitating and repairing essential water infrastructure to provide potable water and sanitation to communities and improve irrigation. Accomplishments to Date: • Nationwide: Rehabilitating sewage and water treatment plants that are currently by-passing untreated sewage generated by millions of people into the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. o Repairing and rehabilitating water systems throughout Iraq. o Repaired hundreds of breaks in Iraq’s critical and long neglected water network , significantly increasing water flow. • Baghdad: Expanding one water plant and rehabilitating three sewage plants. o Rehabilitating and adding 45 percent capacity to Baghdad’s Sharkh Dijlah water plant (previously Ad Diwaniyah wastewater treatment plant. Photo: USAID named Saba Nissan water plant), adding an additional 225,000 cubic meters a day to the water supply by July 2004, mostly in the overpopulated eastern sections. o Installing back-up electrical generators at 41 Baghdad water facilities and pumping stations to ensure continuous water supply. o Rehabilitating Baghdad’s sewage treatment plants—Rustimiyah North, Rustimiyah South, and Kerkh to benefit 3.8 million people by October 2004. o Rehabilitated 70 of Baghdad’s non-functioning waste lift and pumping stations. • South Central: Rehabilitating two water plants and four sewage plants. o Rehabilitating An Najaf and Karbala’ water treatment plants. The projects will be complete in August and November 2004, respectively. o Rehabilitating Ad Diwaniyah and Karbala ́ sewage treatment plants, which serve 200,000 residents and currently discharge untreated waste into the Euphrates River. These projects are expected to be complete by August 2004 and October 2004, respectively. o Rehabilitating An Najaf and Al Hillah sewage treatment plants to serve 194,000 residents. These projects are expected to be completed by December 2004 and August 2004, respectively. • South: Rehabilitating the entire Sweet Water Canal system, including the canal and its reservoir, 14 water treatment plants and pumping stations, and the Safwan water system 5 o The system provides drinking water to 1.75 million residents of Basrah City. It had been operating at less than half capacity. o Rehabilitated and removed 34,000 cubic meters of sand and silt from the west lobe of the settling- reservoir of the Canal, allowing it to be refilled with clean water. o Began work on Sweet Water’s 14 water treatment plants in January. By summer 2004, water quality and volume will surpass prewar levels. o Completed the restoration of the Safwan water system. All 40,000 residents now have access to potable drinking water. • North: Rehabilitating two water plants and one sewage plant. o Rehabilitating Kirkuk and Al Dujayl water treatment facilities and Al Dujayl sewage plant. o Procuring reconstruction materials for the Ninawa’ Sewer and Water Directorate. This Directorate will repair projects in Mosul and the surrounding areas. o Constructing potable water sources for towns and villages of less than 1,000 residents. Highlights this Week: • USAID partner International Rescue Committee (IRC) is working with Bedouin tribal leaders and An Najaf’s Department of Irrigation to restore 12 water collection centers in An Najaf Governorate, including drilling and rehabilitating wells and replacing and repairing generators. An estimated 30,000-40,000 Bedouins in An Najaf Governorate will benefit from renewed access to water for personal consumption and livestock. • USAID partner Bechtel is making significant progress at the Sharkh Dijlah water treatment plant in Baghdad. Under USAID’s Infrastructure Reconstruction contract, Bechtel is adding a supplemental water treatment system. This week, they are working on the clarifiers, flash mixers, and pipes connecting the intermediate pumping station to the clarifiers. Currently three clarifier bases are completed and they are mobilizing to start the clarifier wall assembly and mechanical work. 2. Support Essential Health and Education Health -- Objectives include: supporting a reformed Iraqi Ministry of Health, delivering essential health services, funding vaccines and high protein biscuits for pregnant and lactating women and malnourished children, establishing a rapid referral and response system for the most serious cases, providing basic primary health care equipment and supplies, training and upgrading health staff, providing health education and information, and identify the specific needs of the health sector and of vulnerable populations such as women and children. Accomplishments to Date: • Procured more than 30 million doses of vaccines since July with support from the Ministry of Health and UNICEF. • Vaccinated three million children under the age of five through the Expanded Immunization Program since June 2003. USAID will provide vaccines for a total of 4.2 million children under five and 700,000 pregnant women. • Continuing a monthly catch-up immunization campaign with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health with 4,000 health workers and 124 supervisors. • Awarding $1.8 million in small grants to support Iraqi NGO healthcare efforts throughout Iraq. • Developing a hospital and clinic facility database for the Ministry of Health on facility type, location, service distribution, cost information, and building condition. 6 Participants at a Health Forum at the College of Arts in Arbil. Photo: USAID • Renovated 52 primary health care clinics and re-equipping over 600 to provide essential primary healthcare services. • Trained 340 master trainers in 18 governorates who are training more than 2,000 primary healthcare providers to treat and prevent acute respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases. • Distributed high-protein supplementary food rations to more than 240,000 pregnant and nursing mothers and malnourished children. • Evaluated 18 national and regional public health laboratories for equipment needs. • Rehabilitated the National Polio Laboratory. • Training more than 1,000 health workers and volunteers to identify, treat and monitor the growth of acutely malnourished children. • Working with the Iraqi Ministry of Health to develop a strategic plan to reduce child mortality and increase the level of preventative care available to the Iraqi people through assistance to their nine working groups which address: public health, health care delivery, health information systems, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and equipment, health care finance, education and training, human resources, legislation and regulation, and licensing and accreditation. • Distributing 1.4 million liters of clean water each day to people in the cities of Al Basrah, Al Muthanna’, Kirkuk, and Mosul. Highlights this Week: • The Public Health Division of the Ministry of Health has initiated a measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization campaign in the Basrah area targeting school children aged 6-12 years. Over the next two weeks, Ministry public health workers will administer approximately 400,000 doses of MMR vaccines to Iraqi children with support from USAID. Similar campaigns will be instituted in governorates across the country. • Nearly 600 health professionals participated in forums conducted last week to discuss the vision for health sector reform being established by the Ministry of Health. Twelve sessions were conducted in the cities of Kirkuk, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, and Mosul. The results of the discussions and surveys from the meetings will be incorporated into the overall strategy for health sector reform. • Last week, fifteen representatives from the Ministry of Health participated in two USAID supported seminars on the implementation and use of the National Health Accounts (NHA) system. NHA is a classification system which groups national health expenditures into five categories, including: financing sources; financing agents; fund recipients; the use of the funds; and the fund beneficiaries. Education -- Objectives include: increasing enrollment and improving the quality of primary and secondary education, ensuring that classrooms have sufficient materials, facilitating community involvement, training teachers, implementing accelerated learning programs, and establishing partnerships between U.S. and Iraqi colleges and universities. Accomplishments to Date: • Immediately After the Conflict o Provided technical assistance for the resumption of the Ministry of Education functions and salaries. o Funded 5.5 million examinations for transitional grades, which ensured the smooth continuation of school. o Surveyed secondary schools in all permissive areas of the country (4,541 participants total). • Facilities and Supplies o Awarded 627 grants worth more than $6 million to rehabilitate schools and equip Directorates General. o Rehabilitated 2,356 schools countrywide for the first term of the 2003/04 school year. o Provided materials, equipment and supplies: 7 o Distributed nearly 1.5 million secondary school kits that include pens, pencils, paper, math equipment, and other supplies. o Distributed 159,005 student desks, 26,437 teacher desks, 59,940 teacher chairs, 26,050 metal cabinets, 61,500 chalkboards, and 58,100 teacher kits. o Delivered 808,000 primary student kits. o Delivered 81,735 primary teacher kits. o In consultation with the Iraqi Ministry of Education, reviewed 48 math and science textbooks for grades 1 through 12. o Printed and distributed 8,759,260 textbooks throughout Iraq. • Institutional Strengthening o Trained 860 secondary school Master Trainers during September 2003 to January 2004 nationwide. o Trained 31,772 secondary school teachers and administration staff. o Conducting an accelerated learning program in Baghdad, Nasiriyah, Ad Diwaniyah, Karbala’, and Arbil. More than 600 students are participating in the program. In February 2004, the students completed mid-term exams. • Higher Education o USAID participated in the bi-national Fulbright scholarship review committee set up by the CPA. The Fulbright Scholarship Program returned to Iraq after a 14-year absence. The program awarded at least 25 scholarships for Iraqis to study in the United States in 2004. o Launched the Higher Education and Development Program. Awarded five grants worth an estimated $20.7 million for U.S.-Iraqi university partnerships: o A consortium led by Research Foundation of the State University of New York at Stony Brook partnering with Baghdad University, Al Mustansiriyah University/Baghdad, Basrah University, and Mosul University in archeology and environmental health. o The University of Hawaii College of Agriculture and Human Resources partnering with the University of Mosul Hamam Al-Alil and University of Dahuk for strengthening academic, research, and extension programs. o The Human Rights Institute at DePaul University College of Law and the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences (Italy) partnering with Universities of Baghdad, Basrah, and Sulaimanyah on legal education reform. o Jackson State University/MCID has partnered with University of Mosul, University of Dahuk, and the Nursing Institute (Dahuk) for public health and sanitation. o The University of Oklahoma and consortia has partnered with the Technology University/Baghdad, Al Anbar University, Basrah University, University of Babil, and the University of Salah ad Din in higher education initiatives. Highlights this Week: • Workplans have been finalized and approved for the Jackson State/MCID, the University of Oklahoma and DePaul University HEAD partnerships. Program highlights include: o The Mississippi Consortium for International Development (MCID) and the University of Mosul have developed a three-part program to revitalize the University of Mosul’s administration, teaching, research, and outreach capacity in public health and sanitation. The program will also strengthen ties between the University of Mosul, University of Dahuk, and Dahuk Nursing Institute. o The University of Oklahoma is leading a consortium of U.S. universities—Oklahoma State University, Cameron University, and Langston University—in a partnership with five Iraqi schools—Al Anbar University, Basrah University, Salah ad Din University in Arbil, Babil University, and the University of Technology of Baghdad—to meet higher education needs at the national, campus and program levels. The approach of the program, implemented through close cooperation with the CPA, USAID, and Iraqi partners rests on two objectives, providing and utilizing sufficient infrastructure to establish an effective learning environment and strengthening human resources for effective delivery of higher education. 8 o The Human Rights Institute of DePaul University’s College of Law and Italy’s International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences have partnered with the Universities of Baghdad, Basrah, and Sulaymanyah. This program offers four distinct components that are designed to be integrated and mutually reinforcing a sustainable forum for public dialogue and strengthening the curriculum and learning opportunities and research capabilities. The four components include: Rule of Law and Good Governance, Curriculum Reform, Clinical Education, and Library and Educational Technology. 3. Expand Economic Opportunity Economic Growth – Substantive areas include: currency conversion, development of economic statistics, rationalizing small business credit, drafting commercial legislation, supporting a national employment program, strengthening micro-finance programs, creating a bank-to-bank payment system, implementing a computerized financial management information system, developing a tax policy and administration, budget planning, insurance reform, telecommunications reform, and electricity reform. Accomplishments to Date: • With the Ministry of Finance, introduced the new national currency, the Iraqi dinar. o The currency exchange began on October 15, 2003, and was completed on January 15, 2004. o An estimated 6.36 trillion new Iraqi dinars are now in Iraq, and 4.62 trillion Iraqi dinars are circulating—106 percent of the original demand estimate of 4.36 trillion. • Conducting regular currency auction for banks to exchange dinars and dollars. • Created more than 77,000 public works jobs through the National Employment Program. • Provided technical assistance on the implementation of a bank-to-bank payment system that allows 80 banks to send and receive payment instructions. • In support of the Iraqi Treasury’s goal to improve Iraq’s commercial banking system, USAID is working with the CPA to reconcile and close the year-end 2003 financial statements of Iraq’s two largest banks— the state-owned Rasheed and Rafidain—to ensure that the statements are consistent with international accounting standards. • Assisting in developing, installing, and training staff to use the Financial Management Information System, a new accounting and reporting system that will eventually be used by all Iraqi treasury offices and ministries. • Assisting CPA in managing a $21-million microcredit program. • Supporting CPA’s Oil for Food (OFF) Program in planning, program management, logistics, database applications, and communications to support the CPA OFF Coordination Center in the north and south. • Evaluating and updating commercial laws pertaining to private sector and foreign investment; assisted in the development of the new company law. • Assisted in collaboration with the CPA and the UK Customs Service in developing the reconstruction levy, which imposes a five percent reconstruction levy on imports beginning April 1, 2004. Highlights this Week: • USAID is working with the Ministry of Trade to create a comprehensive database tracking all Oil for Food (OFF) South-Central and Electricity contracts with detailed analysis and reporting capability. The first version of this database has been created and is being tested for functionality. After testing, the database will be populated. • The interim law on securities markets has been approved by the CPA Administrator Paul Bremer for submission to the Governing Council to review before ratification. This law establishes an interim framework for securities regulation replacing the state-owned Baghdad Stock Exchange with a member- owned, government-regulated Iraq Stock Exchange and lays out policy to regulate the securities markets. The law was drafted by the CPA with assistance from USAID partner BearingPoint. 9 • In preparation for the institution of the 5 percent reconstruction levy on all goods entering Iraq as of April 1, USAID partner BearingPoint is working with the CPA, UK Customs representatives and the Iraqi Customs Service to finalize the taxation process and train Iraqi Customs representatives. This tax will be implemented at 21 border posts, 10 of which are scheduled to have a computerized implementation system by April 1. • Preliminary discussions for establishing an International Monetary Fund (IMF) program in Iraq have begun. This past week, Iraq’s Minister of Finance, the Governor of the Central Bank and more than 15 senior officials from both organizations attended a meeting to discuss initiating an IMF program. Representatives from the IMF, CPA, and USAID partner BearingPoint also attended. The meeting included discussions on the structural weaknesses of the Ministry of Finance and identified specific issues to be addressed with regard to the budget preparation, budget reporting, and tax reform in Iraq. Food Security -- Objectives include: providing oversight support for the countrywide public distribution system, which provides basic food and non-food commodities to an estimated 25 million Iraqis, participating in the design of a monetary assistance program to replace the commodity-based distribution system to support local production and free-market infrastructure, and promoting comprehensive agriculture reform to optimize private participation in production and wholesale markets. Accomplishments to Date: • Worked with the UN World Food Program (WFP) and Coalition Forces to re-establish Iraq’s public distribution system in less than 30 days, avoiding a humanitarian food crisis and maintaining food security. • Contributed cash and food aid totaling $425 million to WFP’s emergency operations immediately following the conflict, making the United States the foremost contributor to WFP emergency operations in Iraq. • Placed food specialists in Baghdad, Al Basrah, Al Hillah, and Arbil to support food operations immediately after the conflict. • Provided ongoing support and technical assistance to WFP and local Iraqi authorities in the Ministry of Trade and the Food ration agents receiving goods through Iraq’s Public Distribution System. Photo: USAID Kurdish Food Departments to ensure the smooth transition of Public Distribution System (PDS) management tasks to the Iraqi government. Special attention was given to the transition phase in the northern governorates of Dahuk, As Sulaymaniyah, and Arbil. The initial handover of responsibilities occurred on November 21 without significant problems. • Played a role in negotiating a memorandum of understanding between the CPA, the Ministry of Trade, and the WFP that details areas of responsibility including: capacity building and training, procurement of food commodities, renegotiation of certain food contracts, shipment and overland transport of food commodities, and pipeline management. The WFP will continue to assist with supporting the public distribution system through June 2004 and will begin work immediately to assure continuation of food deliveries. • Currently providing food aid expertise to CPA and Ministry of Trade in Baghdad and assisting with the CPA OFF Coordination Center as WFP and CPA and the Ministry continue to distribute food to all Iraqis. 10 Agriculture -- Objectives include: expanding agricultural productivity, restoring the capacity of agroenterprises to produce, process, and market agricultural goods and services, nurturing access to rural financial services, and improving land and water resource management. Accomplishments to Date: Since October 2003, USAID partner DAI has been implementing the Agricultural Reconstruction and Development Program for Iraq (ARDI) to formulate a long-term vision for the sector, while designing activities for quick impact including: • Winter Crop Technology Demonstrations: On 334 hectares in 15 governorates, 128 farm families are establishing plots with new crop varieties for extension field days. • Kirkuk Veterinary Hospital Renovation: Fifty communities will benefit from a $96,000 grant to renovate a hospital that serves more than 100,000 livestock in the area. • Taza and Rashad Veterinary Clinic Rehabilitation: A $50,000 grant will be matched by supplies and equipment from the Ministry of Agriculture. These rural clinics are the two principal sources of vaccines and medicines for animals in 125 local communities. • Internet Connectivity and Repairs to a Student Union Building: The Baghdad University School of Agriculture will receive a $75,000 grant that will benefit 4,509 students. • Seven grants, totaling $394,000, were approved February 2004 to build the capacity of Iraq’s agriculture sector. The grants’ emphasis on veterinary programs allows an immediate, highly visible response to the challenges that face herders and farmers in the North and Central regions. • The Ministry of Agriculture is establishing 18 date palm nurseries throughout Iraq in support of its goal to reestablish Iraq's dominant position in the international date market, a position it lost under the former regime. Dates are a national treasure for Iraq with both symbolic and economic significance. This project, which receives support and technical assistance from USAID, will ensure the preservation of Iraq’s 621 varieties of date palm. Highlights this Week: • Work renovating the government-owned Taza and Rashad Veterinary Clinics, located in Tuz Khurmatu, 10 kilometers south of Kirkuk, is nearly complete. The $55,000 grant for the renovation of the facility shared by the two clinics was approved in December 2003 by USAID’s Agriculture Reconstruction and Development Program for Iraq and was the program’s first grant. • The Ministry of Agriculture’s Winter Crops Technology Demonstrations program is continuing and is providing farmers with new methods to increase crop productivity. On March 16, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and USAID visited demonstration fields in Ad Diwaniyah, located 170 kilometers south of Baghdad. The demonstration showed the advantages of salt tolerant varieties of wheat. Marshlands -- Objectives include: construct environmental, social and economic baselines for the remaining and former marshlands, assist marsh dwellers by creating economic opportunities and viable social institutions, improve the management of marshlands, and expand restoration activities. Program Goals: • The $4-million Marshland Restoration and Management Program will support wetlands restoration and provide social and economic assistance to marsh dwellers. Initiatives include: o Creating a hydraulic model of the marshes to improve water management. o Equipping a soil and water quality lab at the new Center for Iraq Marshlands Restoration. o Implementing pilot projects to improve treatment of waste and drinking water. Dwellings in the Hammar Marshlands. Photo: USAID 11 o Providing social-economic assistance through job- and income-generating activities in fisheries, aquaculture, livestock production, and date-palm reproduction. o Monitoring water quality in reflooded sites. o Extending healthcare services to marsh dwellers. o Building local capacity by partnering with Iraqi institutions such as the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of the Environment, the University of Basrah College of Agriculture, the AMAR Charitable Trust, and the Iraq Foundation, and the governments of Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Highlights this Week: • In February, a team of 71 experts from six countries convened in Basrah to design an action plan for the Iraq Marshlands Restoration Program. The program, to be implemented by USAID partner Development Alternatives, Inc. in cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources, will be a year-long effort to restore the marshland ecosystem through improved management and strategic reflooding and provide social and economic assistance to the local population. The environmental and economic tracks are necessarily integrated, reflecting the historic harmony of the marshlands and their indigenous population. 4. Improve Efficiency and Accountability of Government Local Governance -- Objectives include: promoting diverse and representative citizen participation in provincial, municipal and local councils, strengthening the management skills of city and provincial administrations, local interim representative bodies, and civic institutions to improve the delivery of essential municipal services, promoting effective advocacy and participation of civil society organizations, enhancing leadership skills, and serving as a recruiting tool for future leaders. Accomplishments to Date: • Implementing local governance activities in 18 governorates. More than 20 million Iraqis engage in policy discourse through local government entities and civil society organizations to: o Enhance transparency and participation in local decision-making processes. o Restore basic services. o Improve the effectiveness of local service delivery. o Establish, develop, and expand the number of civil society organizations that can interact with local government entities. • Established 16 governorate councils, 78 district councils, 192 city or sub-district councils, and 392 neighborhood Sewing machines arriving at the Independent Women's Association. Photo: USAID councils. • Awarded $13.4 million to government agencies and civil society organizations to strengthen the capacity of municipal authorities to deliver core municipal services. • Committed $2.4 million to support the CPA’s nationwide Civic Education Campaign. • Supporting preparation of 2004 city council budgets in Mosul, Al Hillah, Babil, and An Najaf. • Recruited more than 400 democracy facilitators to help Iraqis prepare for the transition. Highlights this Week: • The Independent Women’s Association based in Al Hillah will receive 44 new professional sewing machines under a rapid-response grant from USAID’s Local Governance Program (LGP). The sewing machines are part of a larger grant from LGP, which also rehabilitated the association’s building. The new machines will help provide employment for more than 600 association members. 12 • LGP participated in the distribution of 4,000 posters and 2,000 teaching folders informing the people of An Najaf about the “Measles Vaccination Campaign,” which aims to decrease the reported number of cases of infected school children. The Ministry of Health delegate to An Najaf expressed his support for LGP’s work and highlighted the success of the advertisement circulation. LGP anticipates that the advertising will significantly increase the number of vaccinated children. • USAID’s Local Governance Team conducted six civic dialogues for youth this week in Al Hillah on the June transition to democracy. The dialogues had a total of 162 participants (54 men and 108 women). One highlight of the dialogues was a discussion on how a democratic system of governance can contribute to public safety. • On March 15, USAID’s Local Governance Program supported an Irrigation Workshop for An Nahdha Organization in Al ‘Abbassi sub-district of Hawijah (At’ Tamim Governorate). Approximately 180 farmers from Al ‘Abbassi attended, as well as four members from the sub-district’s local council, the Director of Water Resources of Hawijah, and the Director and staff of the Agricultural Directorate of Al ‘Abbassi. Attendees discussed the prospects for increasing the irrigated area in Al ‘Abbassi, and establishing water user associations to give beneficiaries more control over resources and improve service delivery. • USAID’s Local Governance Program (LGP) has completed a month-long training course for a team of 10 Iraqis (6 women and 4 men) who will go on to train the Al Basrah Governorate and Local Councils in effective governance techniques. The training curriculum included Iraqi public laws, human rights, local budget awareness, motivational skills, presentation skills, note-taking, and the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL). • A recently awarded grant under USAID’s Local Governance Program (LGP) will renovate the Kirkuk Youth and Sports Center and supply equipment for 44 public sports teams in Kirkuk, including 20 soccer, 12 volleyball, and 12 basketball teams. Transition Initiatives -- Objectives include: building and sustaining Iraqi confidence in the transition to a participatory, stable, and democratic Iraq and working closely with the CPA, USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative assists Iraqi NGOs, national government institutions, and local governments to increase Iraqi support for the transition to sovereignty through quick-dispersing, high impact small grants. Accomplishments to Date: • Awarded 645 small grants totaling more than $43 million for quick impact activities that support good governance, civil society, conflict management and mitigation, and human rights and transitional justice. • Supporting initiatives crucial to the democratic transition, including civic education, civil society and media development, increased women’s participation, conflict mitigation, and transitional justice. Groups targeted for assistance include women’s and youth groups, professional associations, and human rights organizations. • Met critical needs during and immediately after the conflict by providing short-term employment, restoring basic government and community services, increasing Iraqi access to information and communication, and encouraging protection of human rights. • Awarded two grants worth $475,000 to the Ministry of Human Rights for the rehabilitation of buildings to house the National Evidence Storage Facility (NESF). The NESF will serve as a venue to analyze recovered documents and store forensic evidence of mass graves and human rights abuses of the Ba’ath government. The facility is part of a larger effort to help build Iraq’s capacity to investigate complex crimes and implement international law enforcement best practices. Highlights this Week: • Under USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative Program, a grant was awarded to the Contemporary Visual Arts Society (CVAS) to support children’s art workshops at schools in the towns of Abu Ghraib and Ramadi in Al Anbar Governorate. Abu Ghraib and Ramadi have experienced a great deal of civil unrest since the fall 13 of the former regime, and many of the children there live in poverty. Artists from CVAS will visit their schools to teach the basics of drawing, painting, and collage. • The Dahuk Women’s Rehabilitation Center will hold a training course on women’s rights awareness with a grant from the Iraq Transition Initiative Program. Women in this isolated area in northern Iraq live under repressive conditions. The Women’s Rehabilitation Center operates a broad program for improving the quality of women’s lives and strengthening civil society through gender equality initiatives. • The Ministry of Culture in As Sulaymaniyah will use a grant from the Iraq Transition Initiatives Program to raise awareness of human rights violations committed by the Ba’athist regime. The award will be used by the Halabja Museum to print and distribute brochures that describe the chemical attack on the town of Halabja in 1988 known as the al-Anfar Campaign. Increasing awareness of past atrocities is essential for promoting reconciliation and justice within the country. • The Iraq Transition Initiatives Program has increased the amount of a grant previously awared to the Iraqi Special Tribunal (IST). With the increase, the IST will be able to hire 10 local staff who will begin the initial management of over one million documents pertaining to the former regime that are currently in the IST’s possession. The Iraqi Governing Council created the IST to bring former Ba'athist regime officials to justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The additional funding will facilitate these activities. Community Action Program -- Objectives include: promoting diverse, representative citizen participation in and among communities to identify, prioritize, and satisfy critical community needs, while utilizing local resources. CAP is implemented by five U.S. NGOs with offices in nine major Iraqi cities. Each concentrates on one region in Iraq: ACDI/VOCA (North), International Relief and Development-- IRD (Baghdad), Cooperative Housing Foundation International--CHF (Southwest Central), Mercy Corps (Southeast Central), and Save the Children (South). Accomplishments to Date: • Established more than 650 Community Action Groups in 16 governorates. The projects undertaken by these groups are part of a campaign targeting grassroots democratic development. • CAP has committed $49.2 million for 1,365 community projects across Iraq; 800 projects have already been completed. • Iraqi communities have contributed $15.8 million to community projects. Contributions have included labor, land, buildings, and other in-kind assistance. • ACDI/VOCA focuses on the conflict prone areas of Mosul, Kirkuk, the area northwest of Baghdad, and the Iran-Iraq border. Their work bringing communities together has Heavy machinery paving roads in Al Rashadiyah. Photo: USAID resulted in 141 completed projects and another 144 are in development. These include establishing a youth center in Halabja and establishing a new local water supply in Tikrit. • CHF has established a strong presence in the communities of the Shi’a holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, as well as Hillah by establishing very active community associations. An emphasis on critical infrastructure has provided these communities with access roads, sewage and water rehabilitation, school repairs, and swamp clean-up in addition to vital social infrastructure such as community centers and sports clubs. They have completed 99 projects. • IRD has completed 200 projects with another 105 projects in development. IRD is focusing increasingly on income and employment generation to address these critical needs around Baghdad. • Mercy Corps has completed 89 projects and has 93 more in development. These projects focus on water, sewage, community clean-up, and school rehabilitation. 14 • Save the Children has completed 271 projects in the south, which include about 40 percent female membership. Projects have focused primarily on immediate community needs such as sewage clean up, water treatment and distribution, public health, and girls’ access to education. Highlights this Week: • Completed a project to install street lighting on the main roads and alleyways of Al-Ta’awun, a neighborhood in Karbala’. The neighborhood suffered from rising crime levels and the local market had to shut down by sunset, resulting in the deterioration of the local economy and increased unemployment. The project, which was initiated in December 2003, was completed on January 20, 2004 and is benefitting 24,750 community members. • Residents of the village of Khairi in Qadissiyah Governorate have completed a project to connect all the houses to the area’s main public water system. Six similar water projects were also completed recently under the Community Action Program in Arouba, Tamim, Thani, Hay al Wehda, Al Asri, Al Hussein, and Al Shafiya. Khairi is located 3 km from Diwaniyah with a population of 2,000, more than half of which immigrated to the area from the greater south while fleeing the Iran-Iraq war. • USAID Community Action Program (CAP) partner Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) has completed the rehabilitation of roads in the Al-Rashadiyah neighborhood in Al-Kufah in Najaf Governorate of South-Central Iraq. The work began in Al-Rashadiyah neighborhood in October. USAID Iraq Reconstruction Financial Summary Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003-2004* RECONSTRUCTION USAID/ANE ..................................................................................... Subtotal: $2,619,519,155 Abt Associates Health Countrywide $20,995,000 AFCAP Logistics Countrywide $91,500,000 Army Corps of Engineers Architecture and Engineering services Countrywide $16,500,000 BearingPoint Economic Governance Countrywide $47,500,000 Bechtel National Airports, buildings, emergency communications, power, railroads, roads and bridges, Umm Qasr seaport, water and sanitation Countrywide $1,029,833,259 Bechtel National Infrastructure II: Airports, buildings, emergency communications, power, railroads, roads and bridges, Umm Qasr seaport, water and sanitation Countrywide $809,521,939 Community Action Program Development in impoverished communities Countrywide $114,500,000 DAI Marshlands Dhi Qar Al Basrah Maysan $4,000,000 DAI Agriculture Countrywide $8,397,156 Fed Source Personnel Support Countrywide $163,572 IRG Reconstruction Support Countrywide $29,087,094 RTI Local Governance Countrywide $236,911,000 CAII Education Countrywide $56,503,000 15 UNICEF Health, Water, and Sanitation Countrywide $36,700,000 UNICEF Education Countrywide $19,600,000 UNESCO Textbook Printing and Distribution: Math and Science Countrywide $10,000,000 WHO Strengthen Health System Countrywide $10,000,000 SSA Port Management Umm Qasr $14,318,985 SkyLink Airport Management Baghdad Al Basrah Mosul $27,200,000 MSI Monitoring and Evaluation Countrywide $5,500,000 University Partners Consortium led by the Research Foundation of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook which includes Columbia University, Boston University and Oxford University (England), University of Hawaii, DePaul University College of Law and the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences in Siracusa, Italy; and Jackson State University and the Mississippi Consortium for International Development; and Oklahoma State University. Baghdad University, Al Mustansiriyah University in Baghdad, Mosul University, Mosul University’s College of Agriculture and Forestry in Hamam al-Alil, Basrah University, Al- Anbar University, and University of Salahaddin. $20,730,000 Yankee Group Telecoms Planning Countrywide $58,150 UNDP Trust Fund Contribution Countrywide $5,000,000 World Bank Trust Fund Contribution Countrywide $5,000,000 EMERGENCY RELIEF USAID/DCHA/OFDA ...............................................................................................$100,699,384 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $7,294,561 AirServ Logistics Countrywide $5,309,876 ARC Capacity building, Disaster support Al Basrah $537,746 The Cuny Center Research studies Countrywide $40,260 GOAL Coordination, Nutrition Al Muthanna’ $1,507,900 International Dispensary Association Health Countrywide $1,284,972 InterAction Coordination Kuwait City $92,860 IOM IDP programs Countrywide $5,000,000 Logistics Commodities and DART support Countrywide $20,902,534 UNICEF Health, nutrition, water/sanitation Countrywide $4,000,000 UN OCHA Coordination and Information Countrywide $1,450,000 USAID Amman Support for emergency water activities Countrywide $500,000 WFP Logistics and pre-positioning of food Countrywide $5,000,000 IMC Food Security, Health, Nutrition, Water/Sanitation, Capacity building Countrywide $13,702,900 IRC Health, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $6,198,685 Mercy Corps Health, Non-Food Items, Shelter, Countrywide $7,000,000 16 Water/Sanitation SCF/US Food Security, Health, Shelter, Nutrition, Non-Food Items, Water/Sanitation, NGO Consortium Countrywide $6,883,131 World Vision Health, Logistics, Non-Food Items, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $4,993,959 CARE Quick-impact projects, Water/Sanitation, Health, Blankets Countrywide $9,000,000 USAID/DCHA/FFP .................................................................................................$425,571,000 WFP Operations Countrywide $45,000,000 WFP Emerson Trust – 81,500 MT Countrywide $40,337,000 WFP P.L. 480 Title II emergency food commodities – 163,820 MT Countrywide $140,234,000 WFP Regional Purchase – 330,000 MT Countrywide $200,000,000 USAID/DCHA/OTI.................................................................................................. $161,119,492 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $3,136,984 IOM Iraq Transition Initiative Countrywide $7,087,595 DAI Iraq Transition Initiative Countrywide $139,900,000 Internews Media Countrywide $160,359 Radio SAWA Media Countrywide $400,000 NDI/IRI National Governance Countrywide $650,000 IFES National Governance Countrywide $1,042,315 ICNL Civil Society Countrywide $39,238 Spa War** Inter-Ministry Communications Countrywide $8,703,001 TOTAL USAID ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003/2004 .............................................$3,306,909,031 * Figures in funding sheet are subject to change and do not represent a final official accounting of USG obligations. ** For accounting purposes, funding for this activity has been obligated by OFDA under an existing interagency agreement. 17