الوكالة الأمريكية للتنمية — العراق: نشرة حقائق رقم 38، 1 تموز 2004

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION AND HUMANITARIAN RELIEF July 1, 2004 Weekly Update #38, 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 with Iraq’s Interim Government. USAID programs are implemented in coordination with the United Nations, 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, democracy and 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 Workers laying pipe in Najaf governorate increasing the access to potable water for 100,000 residents of 17 rural communities. Table of Contents Program Overview 2 Economic Growth 5 Electricity 2 Food Security 6 Airports 2 Agriculture 7 Bridges, Roads, and Railroads 2 Marshlands 8 Umm Qasr Seaport 2 Democracy and Governance 9 Telecommunications 3 Transition Initiatives 10 Water and Sanitation 3 Community Action Program 11 Health 4 Financial Summary 14 Education 5 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 of 2003 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, 2003—surpassing the pre-war level of 4,400 MW. Average production over the last seven days was 4,584 MW. • Collaborating with Bechtel, Iraq’s Interim Government, and Gulf Region 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 more than 2,152 MW of additional capacity. 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 for the eventual handover of airport operations to the Iraqi Airport Commission Authority. Accomplishments to Date: • Processing an average of 45 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 sufficient infrastructure work to prepare Baghdad International Airport for commercial air operations. • Preparing Al Basrah International Airport for commercial operations. Bridges: • Demolished irreparable sections of three key bridges and started reconstruction. • Repaired a floating bridge on the Tigris River, improving traffic for approximately 50,000 travelers a day. • Completed reconstruction of and reopened two key bridges Railroads: • Reconstructing 56 km of rail track between Umm Qasr and Shuaiba Junction near Basrah and 16 km of siding at Umm Qasr Seaport. 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 2003; completed first passenger vessel test in July 2003. • Offloading cargo from up 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. 2 o Two Iraqi dredgers, which have been rehabilitated by USAID, are assisting with maintenance dredging. • Instituted port tariffs, which provide a revenue stream for financially sustainable port operations. Telecommunications -- Objectives include: install switches to restore service to 240,000 telephone lines in Baghdad area, and repair 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 in February 2004. 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. • Reconstituted Baghdad area phone service by installing switches with 240,000 lines of capacity. Installed new switches and main distribution frames at 12 sites. • Training Iraqi telephone engineers to ensure continued operations and maintenance of the systems. Water and Sanitation -- Objectives include: rehabilitate and repair essential water infrastructure to provide potable water and sanitation to communities and improve irrigation. Accomplishments to Date: • Rehabilitating sewage and water treatment plants that currently by-pass 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. Highlights this Week: • Repairs to the water distribution network in An Najaf Governorate are increasing access to potable water for 100,000 residents of 17 rural communities. A lack of maintenance caused water network piping to break down, resulting in a decrease in the amount and quality of potable water in the area. To date, more than 42 kilometers of pipe have been repaired or replaced, including 16 kilometers that were originally constructed using asbestos piping. These pipes created a health risk for communities receiving water in that area. Once complete, a total of 49 kilometers of piping in 20 communities will be rehabilitated. This initiative also includes a community health education component. Interactive sessions with community members are increasing the knowledge and awareness of critical water related illnesses contracted through poor water delivery and handling. Workers laying pipe in Najaf governorate 3 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 nursing mothers and malnourished children, 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 2003 with support from the Ministry of Health and UNICEF. • Immunization services were the first national health program re-started after the war. USAID funded vaccines for all 4.2 million Iraqi children under five years of age. Since June 2003, over 3 million children have been vaccinated; ongoing monthly vaccine days will reach the rest. In addition, 700,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated for tetanus. • The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with UNICEF and the World Health Organization has successfully completed a nation-wide immunization campaign for measles, mumps, and rubella, covering over 5 million children ages 6 to 12. • Awarded $1.3 million in small grants to support Iraqi NGO healthcare efforts throughout Iraq. • Developed a hospital and clinic facility database for the Ministry of Health on facility type, location, service distribution, cost information, and building condition. • Renovated 52 primary health care clinics and re-equipping over 600 to provide essential primary healthcare services. • Training healthcare trainers who will reach more than 2,000 primary healthcare providers throughout Iraq. • 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. • 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 five year strategic plan. Goals include increasing the level of preventative care available to the Iraqi people by addressing 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. Water tanks installed in a Dhi Qar health care center Highlights this Week: • An Iraqi non-governmental organization has completed the improvement of 12 primary health care centers in Dhi Qar Governorate with new water tanks and pipelines, as well as brick incinerators. In the past, medical waste either accumulated behind such facilities or was disposed of with normal waste. The incinerators will enable the health facilities to dispose of medical waste in an environmentally safe manner, thus reducing the health hazards to both the patients and the medical staff. About 500,000 4 individuals who are served by these health facilities will directly benefit from this project. This project is being implemented with the support of the Iraq Health System Strengthening project which is managed by the Ministry of Health and USAID. • USAID programs are improving the health of vulnerable populations in Iraq by increasing access to high quality, comprehensive, community-based primary health care. In support of this goal, USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is implementing several health care improvement projects including: o Twenty-four primary health care clinics have been rehabilitated and equipped throughout Iraq. USAID has worked in partnership with the Ministry of Health and regional Departments of Health to ensure proper coordination in identifying and supporting these projects. o Two mobile medical teams have been established to provide curative and health education services in rural areas of At’ Tamim and Ninawa’ Governorates. These health teams operated based on assessment reports prepared in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and focus on providing services to communities that do not have ready access to a primary health care center or other mobile clinics. In At’ Tamim Governorate, the team provides education messages through door-to-door visits, consultations by Ministry of Health doctors and vaccinations. These services have reached approximately 9,300 people. In Ninawa’ Governorate, the team includes doctors, nurses, and health educators and will provide consultation services as well as interactive health education workshops on proper hygiene, mother/child health, and the importance of immunizations. This second team is expected to offer services to approximately 12,000 people in its first four months, which will be completed by the end of June. 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 education functions and salaries. o Funded 5.5 million examinations for transitional grades, which ensured the smooth continuation of education. • Facilities and Supplies o Awarded 627 grants worth more than $6 million to rehabilitate schools and equip Directorates General. o Rehabilitated 2,358 schools countrywide for the first term of the 2003/04 school year. o Provided materials, equipment and supplies: o Distributed nearly 1.5 million secondary school kits that include pens, pencils, paper, math supplies, and other essentials. o Distributed 159,005 student desks, 26,437 teacher desks, 59,940 teacher chairs, 26,050 metal cabinets, 61,500 chalkboards, and 58,500 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 math and science textbooks throughout Iraq. • Institutional Strengthening o Trained 860 secondary school Teacher Trainers during September 2003 to January 2004 nationwide. 5 o Trained 31,772 secondary school teachers and administration staff. o Conducted a pilot accelerated learning program in five Iraqi cities to allow out-of-school children to complete two school years in one year. More than 550 students participated in the program. o Approximately 87 percent of the students passed the year end exams and will now be integrated into the main school system. • Higher Education o USAID participated in the bi-national Fulbright scholarship review committee. 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 Supporting the Higher Education and Development Program. Awarded five grants worth an estimated $20.7 million for U.S.-Iraqi university partnerships. Highlights this Week: • Iraqi university libraries are restoring their collections through partnerships with U.S. universities. After years of isolation from the international community, as well as post-conflict looting, the universities have limited and outdated resources, affecting the quality of research and support for academic programs. A survey conducted as part of a USAID higher education partnership revealed that library restoration was the second most critical need of university faculty and students after Internet connectivity. The Books Beyond Borders initiative, implemented through USAID’s Higher Education and Development (HEAD) program is helping to improve university libraries through a book drive that is soliciting donations from all over the world. The program works with donors to collect the books, review them for appropriateness for a university library, and sort them by discipline. Books have been collected in dozens of undergraduate and graduate disciplines, including art, law, engineering, medicine, history, chemistry, Textbooks collected for Iraqi universities anthropology, and psychology. Books have been donated by university students in the United States, Canada, India, England and France, as well as American bookstores and publishing companies. The program will also purchase books in disciplines that do not receive sufficient donations. This initiative is supported by a University partnership under USAID’s HEAD program, which brings together American, European, and Iraqi universities to reestablish academic excellence in Iraq’s higher education system. 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. 6 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 auctions 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 ministries. • Assisted CPA in managing a $21-million micro-credit program. • Evaluating and updating commercial laws pertaining to private sector and foreign investment; assisted in the development of the new company law. • Assisted in developing the reconstruction levy in collaboration with the CPA and the UK Customs Service; this levy imposes a five percent tariff on imports to Iraq. Highlights this Week: • Statistics staff members at the Central Bank of Iraq are improving their skills to generate and analyze indicators guiding monetary policy in Iraq. USAID advisors are engaged in an ongoing capacity building effort at the Central Bank to improve monetary data collection and policy analysis. This work has included training seminars for bank staff as well as individual, on-the-job, training. • USAID programs are building the capacity of the Ministry of Finance’s Iraqi Tax Commission to structure and administer taxes in the Ministry of Finance. USAID is supporting the evaluation and improvement of the existing tax policy regime, the development of capacity within the Commission to formulate and analyze tax policies, the provision of technical assistance to reactivate tax administration, and assistance to increase compliance in order to reform tax policy for the promotion of private sector growth and the generation of sufficient revenues to achieve fiscal balance. • Three sessions on insurance principles have been conducted for 40 Iraqi insurance company staff as part of a series of training sessions to update the skills of insurance professionals. These courses are helping to address the knowledge gap created by insufficient investment in training programs in the past and many years of isolation from overseas insurance organizations. The first session was conducted for 12 participants and covered insurance regulation. The role of international insurance organizations— including the International Association of Insurance Supervisors and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners—was also discussed. The second training session was attended by 18 participants and focused on medical insurance practices. The training reviewed policy wordings, exclusions, policy conditions, underwriting and customer targeting. The third session covered reinsurance, a mechanism in which one insurance company charges a premium to indemnify another insurance company against loss sustained under its policies. Twenty insurance company staff members participated in this session. The training reviewed the different forms of reinsurance, the principles underpinning insurance, the strategies followed and the portfolio of services that reinsurers can provide. • Micro-finance institution officers are participating in training to improve lending operations to Iraqi small and medium sized enterprises. A six day intensive training course began on June 19 and included 24 participants from micro-finance partner organizations. The session covered a range of topics including introduction to sustainable microfinance; product design; market research; financial analysis; group and individual lending methodologies; introduction to savings; marketing techniques and customer service. 7 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 (PDS) 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. • Provided ongoing support and technical assistance to WFP and local Iraqi authorities in the Ministry of Trade and the Kurdish Food Departments to ensure the smooth transition of PDS management tasks to the Iraqi government. • 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 food contracts, shipment and overland transport of food commodities, and pipeline management. The WFP will continue to support the public distribution system through June 2004 and will begin work immediately to assure continuation of food deliveries. • Currently providing food aid expertise to the Ministry of Trade and assisting WFP, CPA and the Ministry to continue to distribute food to all Iraqis. 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 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. Planning for the Summer Crop Technology Demonstrations is underway. • Veterinary Hospital Renovation: The renovation of this hospital in At’ Tamim Governorate was completed in early April 2003 under a $96,000 ARDI grant; the hospital serves more than 100,000 livestock in the area. • Veterinary Clinic Rehabilitation: This project was completed in early April 2003 through a $50,000 grant which was 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 School of Agriculture at an Iraqi university will receive a $75,000 grant that will benefit 4,509 students. • Seven grants, totaling $394,000, were approved in 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. 8 • 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. • Developed a transition plan for the Iraq Ministry of Agriculture to move the agricultural sector from a command and control production and marketing system to one which is market-driven. • Initiated a program supporting agricultural extension services for farmers in late May. Eight extension agents are working with farmers to teach agricultural best practices. The agents are encouraging farmers to analyze their own problems and independently develop solutions. In collaboration with USAID, the Ministry of Agriculture expects to replicate the program in other villages and governorates, as extension services have been successful in increasing agricultural productivity in developing countries around the world. Highlights this Week: • A new statistical unit in the Agricultural Economics Department of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Planning Directorate will enhance the Ministry’s ability to collect, analyze, and disseminate agricultural data. The unit will provide information to farmers and private sector entrepreneurs as they learn to operate in newly opened competitive markets. The unit will also provide statistical information for carrying out economic analysis for policy formulation; currently, there is little reliable data on agricultural statistics. The activity will be coordinated with the Central Statistics Organization (CSO), part of the Central Bank of Iraq that is responsible for the collection and analysis of data. Coordination with the CSO will ensure that data reporting is standardized and can be integrated with information from other sectors. • Workshops on seed technology are promoting increased agricultural productivity by introducing Iraqi agricultural scientists to the use and benefits of modified seeds. Two workshops have been conducted on seed breeding with the support of USAID’s Agriculture Reconstruction and Development Program for Iraq (ARDI). The first seminar, conducted for more than 60 agricultural scientists, focused on the production of maize seed. The potential benefits of bioengineering and the use of genetically-modified organisms were also introduced. The genetically modified organisms (GMO) are high yielding and can reduce the amount of pesticides in agriculture, thereby having a beneficial affect on the environment. 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. Accomplishments to Date: • Operating at both national and regional levels, the Marshlands Restoration Program developed an integrated strategy for wetland restoration and management and is providing social and economic assistance to Marsh Arabs. • The first date palm nursery was established with 1,000 mother trees of different varieties. The trees will produce 10,000 off-shoots, of which about 7,000 will survive. • The Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Public Works have selected a first site to build a constructed wetlands for treating domestic wastewater. The service area is the largest settlement in the marshlands, and will serve roughly 5,000 people. • Demonstrations of alfalfa cultivation to improve livestock nutrition and dairy production in five locations are ongoing. 9 • The program will re-establish a water and soil laboratory in the Ministry of Water Resources headquarters in Baghdad. A proposed list of equipment has been developed and is being reviewed by the Ministry staff for immediate procurement and training in their use. • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Ministry of Water Resources are jointly developing a hydrologic model of the Tigris and Euphrates basin. • Work began on setting up demonstration plots for field crops and horticulture in eight locations in the marshlands. Plans are underway to do soil and water analyses at possible demonstration sites. The program is recruiting staff to implement the establishment of date palm nurseries for growing and distributing off-shoots. 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, engaging Iraqis 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 or refreshed 16 governorate councils, 91 district councils, 194 city or subdistrict councils, and 445 neighborhood councils. • Awarded $15.5 million to government agencies and A newly rehabilitated garbage truck in At' Tamim Governorate will help with solid waste collection in urban areas civil society organizations to enable municipal authorities to deliver core municipal services. • Committed $2.4 million to support the CPA’s nationwide Civic Education Campaign, which facilitates dialogue and increases democracy awareness. • Conducted more than 14,000 democracy dialogue activities throughout Iraq. Highlights this Week: • The Iraqi Interim Government (IIG) is receiving technical assistance from USAID through a recently awarded grant to two US non-governmental organizations. This new initiative will ensure that the IIG is supported during Iraq’s critical transitional period. Through this program, technical experts will work with the Interim Government to provide logistical support to the governing bodies, aid in the institutionalization of government processes, and ensure public access and input into the work of the new Interim Government. 10 • On June 12th and 13th, more than 190 lawyers representing professional organizations and civil society organizations (CSOs) from all over Iraq attended the National Agenda Conference for Lawyers. The conference is one in a series of ten being conducted as part of the Civic Education Program. This program is educating Iraqis on the country’s evolving political processes and facilitating dialogues on democracy. • Solid waste collection and transportation projects in At’ Tamim Governorate are improving environmental health conditions for the governorate’s urban areas. For the past year, substitute service provision projects have been collecting and transporting solid waste from all of the municipal sectors of two urban centers. In addition, 400 solid waste collection structures were constructed and 400 hygiene awareness signs were posted in urban residential areas. Within the last few months, activities focused on preparing the governorate’s Ministry of Municipalities to assume responsibility for solid waste collection. This was done through the rehabilitation of a Public Works Maintenance Facility and training for the Maintenance Center’s Management Team, which will evaluate and support the manner in which the city’s maintenance teams are organized and their time is tasked. Specific training sessions in administration management and billing and accounting were conducted to support the operations of the center. Technical machinery and tools, as well as nine trash collection vehicles and one heavy plant machine were also donated to assist with sanitation maintenance. • Twenty civil society leaders in Wasit Governorate met on June 18 to discuss the role of their organizations in the governorate and in establishing democracy and rule of law in Iraq. During the session, they also discussed potential sources of funding CSOs, as well as ways to strengthen the relationship between civil society and local government. The discussion ended with a recommendation to hold conferences and dialogue sessions to explain the role of CSOs, educate the populace on the principles of democracy, and inform people about social reform and civil society, including how civil society’s absence weakens the state. This session was facilitated by USAID’s Local Governance Program, and supports LGP’s goal of expanding Iraq’s civil society community. • Baghdad’s Policy Reform Team, created and supported by USAID’s Local Governance Program, is working with local government officials to promote decentralization and provide technical assistance for policy reform implementation. Current projects include working with the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and his senior management team on implementing the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) and the Local Government Powers Order as they relate to issues of decentralization. In addition, the team is offering advice on the creation of a National Institute of Administration to increase the technical capacity of public officials at the local government level. Finally, the team has helped draft a leaflet entitled, “Decentralization--What Is It?” that is awaiting final approval before printing and distribution. • The rehabilitation of a market in southern Iraq is complete, providing a clean environment for the revitalization of local commerce and benefiting more than 120,000 people. The project cleared out sewage and garbage in the market area and constructed 422 new stalls for vendors. A lottery is being conducted to assign the stalls, with existing vendors receiving priority. A four member management board will oversee and manage the operation of the market—including cleaning, security, and garbage collection. The members of the board represent the local city council, the Ministry of Environment, the local Municipality and the police force. This project was supported by USAID’s Local Governance Program (LGP) through a rapid response grant. It was implemented in collaboration with the local district council and Directorate of Municipalities. • The Baghdad Water and Sewer Authority is continuing to participate in training sessions that will improve services in Baghdad and contribute to better coordination for expanded delivery throughout Baghdad Governorate. Currently, USAID’s Local Governance Program is working with Water and Sewer Authority staff to identify appropriate training. The following courses are being developed: o Restructuring and commercializing utilities--strategies to improve management efficiency and financial performance. o Designing policy and legislative and regulatory frameworks for efficient service delivery. o Structuring public-private partnership projects in the collection, transfer, and disposal of solid waste. 11 o Designing Regulatory Authorities--Structure, Funding, and Scope. o Financial Management, Budgeting, and Investment Planning for Utilities. • More than 275 participants attended the National Agenda Conference for Women on June 12th and 13th . The conference allowed Iraqi women to identify strategic social and political issues which they view as important in a newly emerging democratic Iraq. The conference was organized through collaborative effort between an Iraqi NGO and USAID’s Local Governance Program (LGP). It was one in a series of ten conferences being conducted by LGP as part of the Civic Education Program, which is educating Iraqis on the country’s evolving political processes. LGP will continue to expand the dialogue from this conference through its democracy dialogues, which are also being conducted as part of the Civic Dialogue Program. Such events will include workshops led by former national conference participants. 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 1066 small grants totaling more than $68 million for quick impact activities that support good governance, civil society, conflict management and mitigation, 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. • Funded over 60 grants totaling $3 million that focus on women’s issues, including supporting the establishment of 14 women’s centers in Iraq. Rehabilitated over 264 Iraqi national ministries, schools, clinics and other municipal buildings. Supporting 65 Iraqi groups in documenting human rights abuses of the Ba’athist regime and promoting peace, tolerance, and reconciliation. Highlights this Week: • A center established to support economic revitalization in an urban area in southern Iraq has received a grant that will support the purchase of computers and other office equipment. The center will increase opportunities for residents to pursue employment and economic development, and will foster greater dialogue between the public and private sectors, promoting the work of civil society, as well as greater transparency and accountability in governance. The grant was provided by USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative. • A human rights organization in Al Basrah Governorate will be equipped, furnished, and supplied with a computer and Internet resource center at its office through a grant from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative. The new computer center will be open to the public, providing a vital service for the community. The organization expects that exposing people to issues pertaining to human rights in an indirect manner, while they visit the center to use the Internet, will be more effective than presenting it directly. • An organization dedicated to promoting the rights of women and inter-communal peace in Iraq has received a series of grants from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative to host three seminars on women and the political process. The one-day seminars will take place in different cities and focus on voting and 12 elections. Women in Iraq are underrepresented in the local and national government. However, future elections present a new opportunity for women to become more involved in the decisions that most affect their lives. These initiatives aim to spur women’s interest in entering the political sphere. The grants will cover the costs of hosting these seminars. • A vocational school that provides critical job training skills to men and women in northern Iraq is enhancing its program with the purchase of equipment and supplies for its mechanics, plumbing, welding and other courses. • An association in northern Iraq that provides for the needs of orphans and children with disabilities has received a grant from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative to improve its facilities. This Furniture from a USAID supported vocational school organization will provide a home for the children, as well as a healthy environment where they are treated with dignity and can learn self-confidence. The goal of the organization is to successfully integrate the children into society by educating them and giving them the skills they need to be successful and productive citizens. The award will fund the rehabilitation of the building and the provision of furnishings and other equipment. • A human rights and justice group in northern Iraq will expand its ability to provide outreach with the purchase of furniture and office equipment. The organization emphasizes the importance of the rule of law and an independent judiciary. In support of these institutions, it is actively promoting a culture of respect for human rights by producing texts and providing training. The purchase of the new equipment is being supported by a grant from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative. • An Iraqi non-governmental organization which supports local artists will fund two art exhibitions in southern Iraq. This project will permit Iraqi artists, citizens and children to express visions of their country and its democratic future. It will use culture to celebrate political change and advocate free expression. The award will provide material support for the two art exhibitions. Funding for the exhibitions was made possible by a grant from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative. • A town established in 1988 will expand the programs of its youth center. The town is located in a vulnerable area and suffers from poverty and unemployment; it has few resources for engaging youth constructively. The grant will allow the center to offer additional courses and focus on providing additional opportunities for girls to be active. Some of the courses to be offered include computer classes, sports competitions, art exhibitions, driver’s education training, production of radio stories and dramatic skits and chess. The young people will be able to work together, learn leadership skills, develop their interests and prepare to be involved citizens ready to make positive contributions to a new Iraq. Improvements to the youth center’s program are supported by a grant from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative. • A summer soccer camp has received a grant for equipment and supplies from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative. The camp will provide a positive alternative for youth in the north who have few constructive outlets during the summer months. The camp will be open to young men ages 8-17 and hopes to enroll 3,000 participants. Camp organizers will use soccer to teach leadership, teamwork and responsibility. • A local NGO in northern Iraq will host a two-week conference on the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) to bring together twenty law and constitutional experts, judges, professors and other academics. The participants will analyze and discuss the articles of the TAL and prepare for the next seminar planned for over 350 people. The goal of the seminar is to allow citizens to become familiar with the articles of the TAL and to exchange opinions. USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative will provide a grant for these activities. • USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative (ITI) is supporting the needs of Iraq’s disabled citizens by developing social programs and rehabilitating facilities that meet their needs. This initiative is part of a larger USAID 13 effort to ensure that all of its assistance addresses the disabled, as feasible. The areas of particular opportunity include community development, health services and infrastructure. A recent initiative addressing the needs of the disabled includes: o People with disabilities in several northern Iraqi cities will learn computer skills with the aid of a grant from ITI. The award is being made to a local NGO that will offer computer training courses to their members. These courses will provide a chance for people with disabilities to learn marketable skills and build their self-confidence in order to have an active and productive role in Iraqi society. The ITI grant will supply computers and furniture to support the course and enhance the capacity of the NGO. 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 NGO concentrates on one region in Iraq, which includes the north, south, southwest central, southeast central, and Baghdad regions. Accomplishments to Date: • Established more than 650 Community Action Groups in 17 governorates. The projects undertaken by these groups are part of a campaign targeting grassroots democratic development. • CAP has committed $57 million for 1,485 community projects across Iraq; 1,118 projects have already been completed. • Iraqi communities have contributed more than 25 percent of the value of the community projects. Contributions have included labor, land, buildings, and other in-kind assistance. • The north program focuses on areas of Mosul, Kirkuk and the Iran-Iraq border. Their work has resulted in 251 completed projects and another 34 in development. These include establishing a youth center in At’ Tamim Governorate and developing a new local water supply in Salah ad Din Governorate. • The southwest central program has established a strong presence in the Shi’ia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, as well as Hillah by facilitating very active community associations. A strong emphasis on critical infrastructure needs has provided these communities with results such as sewage and water rehabilitation, school repairs, swamp clean-up and repairs to vital social infrastructure. They have completed 118 projects. • The Baghdad program has completed 278 projects in working with 142 community action groups. Income generation is an important emphasis. A marketplace for over 700 vendors is being constructed, and crews are cleaning up medical waste dumps and educating medical Newly constructed generator building personnel on proper disposal methods. • The southeast central program has completed 122 projects and 88 more are in development. In the Shi’i heartland, these projects are addressing needs resulting from decades of governmental neglect and focus on water, sewerage, community clean-up and school rehabilitation. • The south program has completed 349 projects through 138 community action groups which average 33 percent women’s participation. Projects have focused primarily on immediate community needs such as sewage clean up, water treatment and distribution, public health, and girls’ access to education. 14 Highlights this Week: • A community in Karbala’ Governorate has completed a project to pave the road in their community. The roads of the area were damaged from years of neglect, affecting the residents’ health, local economy, and social conditions. The mostly agricultural community faced difficulty in transporting their products to the neighboring markets and in accessing health facilities and schools. • A project in northern Iraq has increased potable water for more than 3,000 people. The people in this ethnically diverse area had no access to clean water and were buying water from tankers, which was expensive and often not safe to drink. Through this project, a water distribution network was built to connect the area to well water and a small room was built for a public generator. The residents provided the generator and installed a submersible vertical pump to retrieve water from the deep well. • The rehabilitation of a water treatment plant in southern Salah ad Din Governorate will serve more than 250,000 residents. This area currently has two water treatment plants. Although one of them was recently constructed, it does not have the capacity to serve all local residents. Rehabilitation work on the second, older plant ended nearly two years ago. This project will complete the rehabilitation work necessary at the second plant to provide sufficient clean water to meet the needs of the city (150 liters per capita per day). • A newly rehabilitated delivery ward in an At’ Tamim Governorate health center is improving care for pregnant women in the area. Women from area villages were traveling more than 50 km to the closest city to deliver their babies in a hospital or had babies at home with midwives, who often had poor training. The delivery ward has two rooms and six beds and allows the women to deliver their children in a safe environment close to their families. • Since USAID’s Community Action Program expanded operations into the Al Anbar Governorate in March 2004, twenty-five projects have been completed. These projects are engaging community members in local development initiatives to ensure that they meet the needs of the communities and will be sustained by residents. One of the projects included rehabilitation of an apartment complex surrounded by raw sewage. The rate of disease in this area was very high, particularly among children. The community removed standing sewage, installed pipes and manholes, and connected them to the main sewage network. In addition, the entire area surrounding the apartment complex was cleaned and planted with grass, sidewalks paved, and Sewage surrounding an apartment lights installed. Another project supplied water quality complex before rehabilitation by USAID’s Community Action Program control equipment for the central lab of a major city. This central lab is responsible for testing the purity of drinking water throughout the entire city. Years of neglect had reduced the effectiveness of the water testing equipment. This project bought new water testing equipment and provided staff training for equipment maintenance. Better water testing will have an enormous impact on the health of the people in this area. • A university in central Iraq has been rehabilitated and re-equipped. The university offers many undergraduate academic programs including extensive programs in engineering, biology and chemistry. For the past year, the university could only operate at a reduced capacity as the administration’s resources were not adequate for student and faculty needs. There were few working computers and many of the rooms had no furniture. In addition, the administration building was in very poor condition after the conflict. Through this project, USAID helped improve the learning and working conditions for nearly 75,000 students, faculty and workers. The community members from the area also supported this initiative by contributing computers, heaters, furniture, and electrical equipment. 15 USAID Iraq Reconstruction Financial Summary Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003-2004* RECONSTRUCTION USAID/ANE ..................................................................................... Subtotal: $3,159,534,339 Abt Associates Health Countrywide $20,995,000 AFCAP Logistics Countrywide $91,500,000 Army Corps of Engineers Architecture and Engineering services Countrywide $17,000,000 BearingPoint Economic Governance Countrywide $76,050,000 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 $1,313,276,367 Community Action Program Development in impoverished communities Countrywide $120,080,000 DAI Marshlands Dhi Qar Al Basrah Maysan $4,000,000 DAI Agriculture Countrywide $9,352,912 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 CEPPS Iraq Governing Council Countrywide $675,000 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 Baghdad University, Al Mustansiriyah $20,730,000 16 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. 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. 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 ...............................................................................................$101,122,485 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $7,389,004 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 $1,318,437 InterAction Coordination Kuwait City $92,860 IOM IDP programs Countrywide $5,545,780 Logistics Commodities and DART support Countrywide $20,901,947 UNICEF Health, nutrition, water/sanitation Countrywide $4,000,000 UN OCHA Coordination and Information Countrywide $1,200,000 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, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $7,000,000 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.................................................................................................. $161,513,691 17 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $3,531,183 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 .............................................$3,847,741,515 * 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. 18