USAID Iraq: Fact sheet no. 33, 14 May 2003

Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet - May 14, 2003 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Iraq – Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet #33, Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 May 14, 2003 Current Situation (Updated Daily) Regional Updates Countrywide • According to a U.N. Office of the Iraqi Program (UNOIP) report on May 13, the total value of priority items in the Oil-for-Food (OFF) pipeline that can be shipped to Iraq by June 3 is more than $778 million. This total includes $356 million for food, $179 million for electricity, $119 million for agriculture inputs, and $81 million for the health sector. More than $425 million in the pipeline is in transit to Iraq. U.N. Resolution 1476 has given the OFF program until June 3 to identify and procure priority items such as water and sanitation supplies, food, and medicine. Southern Iraq • According to an international NGO assessment of the Al Anbar Governorate, there are no indications of a la rge post-conflict humanitarian crisis in the governorate. The situation in the health and water and sanitation sectors has returned to pre-conflict levels. In the rural districts of the governorate, the markets are again full of local products. However, there is a lack of purchasing power since all employees formerly paid by the government and the public sector are without salaries. In several locations, the May food ration did not contain the full quantity of commodities expected. Sector Updates Education • USAID reports that school kits for both children and teachers will be distributed throughout the country in coming weeks. The number of kits is being determined, but could be as high a million. Coalition forces will provide logistical support and s ecurity for the distribution. School examination books are being printed and will be distributed in June. An Iraqi committee of Shiites, Sunnis and other interested groups is being assembled to revise the curriculum. Food • The DART reported that the Public Distribution System (PDS) is functioning in Al Hillah and is in place for future ration distributions. The last food distribution was conducted during the first week in May. Food commodity shortages were reported and some recipients were concerned regarding the quality of wheat and rice. The grain silo in Al Hillah is intact and stocked with an estimated one-month supply of grain. All fifteen mills that serve the Babil Governorate are operational with electricity and back-up generators. However, several issues remain including the shortage of flour bags at the mills, lack of fuel, inflated fuel prices, and the need to pay the salary of Ministry of Trade personnel. Fuel • The DART reported that the liquid propane gas (LPG) bottling plant in An Nasiriyah is now operational with a 5,000 bottles a day capacity and 50 metric ton storage capacity. For the Dhi Qar Governorate, this is in addition to the Al Shattrah bottling plant, which was relatively undamaged and has a similar bottling capacity. • The U.N. Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) indicated that one million liters of LPG will be imported from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in June to satisfy demand in Iraq for cooking fuel in the short-term. Health • The DART reports that the cholera “outbreak” in Al Basrah is not as serious as initially feared. It is not an epidemic and only 6 of 38 samples have tested positive for cholera. The DART also reports that World Health Organization (WHO) and NGO medical supplies are sufficient to respond to the cholera cases . • WHO epidemiologists are developing reporting and recording documents as part of the health information system (HIS) in an effort to detect outbreaks early on. This system will be implemented first in Al Basrah in collaboration with the Iraqi Director of Public Health. WHO now has representatives in Baghdad and Mosul and are reestablishing their national operations. • On May 14, the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released findings from a rapid nutrition assessment that indicates that 7.7 percent of children under five in Baghdad are acutely malnourished. In the previous nutrition survey in Baghdad in February 2002, UNICEF reported that the acute malnutrition rate among children under five was 4.4 percent. Unsafe water from disrupted water services may be playing a significant role in the Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet - May 14, 2003 increased malnutrition rates. In response, UNICEF is trucking more than 2 million liters of potable water into Iraq daily, as well as importing supplies of chlorine gas and iodine tablets. Infrastructure • USAID, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and Iraqi engineers are assessing the Baghdad south power station. Non-functioning power lines into the "Baghdad Ring" have been prioritized for repair, so that excess power from northern and southern generators can be imported to Baghdad. • USAID assessments of power plants and substations in the Al Basrah area continues, including the communication requirements to support the system. USAID is preparing for distribution of chemicals to maintain boiler water quality to power stations in the southern region and Baghdad. An air assessment of the 400 kilovolt national power system is scheduled for May 15. Population Movements • On May 11, a U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) team traveled to the Dujaila refugee settlement, near Al Kut in central Iraq, from where hundreds of Iranian refugees have fled in recent days after having their homes, crops, and other property confiscated by Iraqis. The Ahwazi refugee settlement in Dujaila, 400 kilometers north of Al Basrah, hosted an estimated 5,000 Iranian refugees before the start of the recent conflict, living alongside a similar number of Iraqis. UNHCR reports there has been an almost continuous stream of new arrivals from Dujaila heading south, most intent on returning home to Iran. The refugees reported that there was frequent gunfire in the neighborhood, food stocks had been depleted, the school had been destroyed, and water and electricity had been suspended in the area for more than two months. The refugees in Dujaila reported that local Iraqi militias had ordered them to leave. Another group of several hundred refugees fled to the border with Iran from another refugee settlement called Kumiet, southwest of Dujaila. In all, more than 1,000 Iranians are believed to have fled from these two settlements. Almost all the Iranian refugees who have been forced from their homes have expressed a wish to repatriate to Iran to according to UNHCR. Water and Sanitation • According to the Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) in Kuwait, the Baghdad Water Authority will convene a meeting on May 19 to prioritize Baghdad's water and sanitation needs. NGOs and International Organizations are invited to participate in determining the water and sanitation needs with available funds and expertis e. U.S. Government Response (New information is underlined) Emergency Relief • USAID/OFDA is supporting U.N. and NGO emergency assistance activities through quick-impact projects and IDP support. USAID/OFDA supports projects in the sectors of agriculture, food security, health, logistics, nutrition, shelter, and water/sanitation. • USAID/OFDA has approved an implementation plan under OFDA's Cooperative Agreement with Save the Children/US to assess the water and sanitation needs of approximately 78 Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) spread across eight districts of the Al Basrah Governorate. Following the assessment, SC/US will supply at least 10 of the centers with piped water and sanitation facilities. • USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) is providing emergency food commodities through the Emerson Trust and P.L. 480 Title II emergency food assistance to WFP for distribution to food insecure Iraqis. WFP also received a cash contribution from USAID/FFP for the purchase of commodities in the region. • USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) is supporting the implementation of the Iraq Transition Initiative (ITI). The ITI program supports the process of political stabilization and community recovery in post- conflict Iraq by providing small grants designed to build confidence among Iraq's diverse ethnic groups, increase citizen participation in decision-making, and rapidly respond to community needs, while establishing and building trust for long term reconstruction efforts. The ITI program is implemented through Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). • The Department of State’s Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (State/PRM) contributed assistance for the pre-positioning and emergency response activities of UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Reconstruction • In addition to the emergency relief assistance provided through the DART by USAID and the Department of State, USAID’s Asia and Near East Bureau (USAID/ANE) has provided assistance for reconstruction activities in Iraq in a broad range of sectors. USAID supports reconstruction projects in education, governance, health, infrastructure, and logistics. • USAID private sector partner Bechtel is looking at repair options for the Kharza bridge, which will be instrumental to the transport of humanitarian food and fuel assistance from Jordan. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet - May 14, 2003 • USAID is preparing a map to show the location of known water and wastewater treatment plants in the southern region. The map will eventually include USACE geographic information system (GIS) data. Kuwait has made nine water desalination plants available in Iraq and USAID and its partners are determining priority locations for these plants. USAID is also exploring the possibility of restarting Iraqi water desalination facilities as a short-term solution to water shortages. • USAID local governance partner, Research Triangle Institute (RTI), and education partner, Creative Associates International (CAII), met with the Director of Education for Basrah, who is in charge of over 700 schools in the Basrah province. The Director provided USAID with the awaited needs and requirements list for schools as prepared by the headmasters. • Two RTI representatives deployed to Baghdad today and will be principal participants in meetings with representatives of Baghdad's municipal districts in their discussi ons on the concept of neighborhood meetings and advisory groups. Background • Since 1991, the Iraqi population has subsisted on the brink of a humanitarian disaster due to the lingering effects of war, sanctions, and drought. Between 1991 and 1996, the U.S. Government provided nearly $794 million in humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons in northern Iraq. • In 1996, the Government of Iraq accepted the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program, after which humanitarian conditions improved. Revenues from the OFF program provided food, medicine, and other civilian goods to assist vulnerable Iraqis through the Public Distribution System. However, widespread corruption by Iraqi officials limited the effectiveness of the OFF program. • On March 20, 2003, Coalition forces began military operations in Iraq. On May 1, 2003, 42 days after the conflict began, U.S. President George W. Bush announced that combat operations in Iraq have ended. Although the recent conflict did not result in the large-scale humanitarian crisis and widespread displacement many had envisioned, the conflict and subsequent disorder has exacerbated the Iraqi population's vulnerable circumstances. • In March 2003, the United States Government deployed a multi-agency Disaster Assistance Response Team to the region to assess and respond to humanitarian needs and to help coordinate the emergency relief effort. In Iraq, the DART has established offices in Al Basrah, Arbil, Baghdad, and Al Hillah. In addition, DART members are located in Kuwait, Jordan, Cyprus, and Qatar and are working closely with U.N. agencies, Non- Governmental Organizations, and in coordination with U.S. Military Civil Affairs personnel. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet Other Donor and International Organization Assistance* - May 14, 2003 US $ DONOR (MILLIONS) DATE (2003) ASSISTANCE SNAPSHOT Australia $64.9 April 29 U.N. agencies, ICRC, and NGOs Austria $1.1 April 1 UNICEF Bangladesh $2 April 4 Food Assi stance Belgium $4.4 April 29 ICRC, UNICEF Canada $74.6 March 26 WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA, ICRC, NGOs China March 27 Tents Croatia $2.8 May 2 Blankets, sleeping bags, flour, sugar, water purification disinfectants European $117.7 April 22 U.N. agencies, IOs, and NGOs Commission Finland $5.13 March 25 ICRC, UN OCHA, WFP France $10.7 UNICEF, WFP, NGOs Germany $50 May 5 UNHCR, WFP, ICRC Greece $4.6 May 5 UNHCR, ICRC, NGOs Iceland $3.75 April 8 ICRC, NGOs, UNCHR, WFP India $20 April 4 WFP and U.N. Consolidated Appeal Ireland $5.1 March 31 U.N. agencies and NGOs for humanitarian assistance Japan $212 May 1 U.N. Agencies, NGOs, Bilateral Assistance Korea $10 April 3 U.N. agencies and Korean NGOs Kuwait $30 March 14 UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, ICRC Netherlands $20.5 April 2 U.N. Consolidated Appeal and ICRC New Zealand $2.3 April 22 U.N. agencies including WFP, IOs, and NGOs Spain $56.7 April 22 U.N. agencies, bilateral refugee assistance, and NGOs Sweden $38 April 11 OCHA, UNICEF, ICRC, IFRC Switzerland $21.9 April 16 ICRC, UNCHR, IOM, IFRC, OCHA Taiwan $4.3 March 27 Refugee assistance – food, medicine, nonfood items United Kingdom $382 April 29 U.N. agencies including WFP, IOs, and NGOs – food, health kits, water units, winter supply kits, primary health, IDP assistance OTHER DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO DATE** ...................................................................................................$1,144 MILLION *This compilation was drawn from the Department of State tracking of donor government pledged or committed funding. The list may not be comprehensive. ** This total is approximate as the value of donated commodities is not available in some cases. Public Donation Information • The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash donations to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. A list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting cash donations for their activities in the Gulf can be found in the “How Can I Help” section at [www.usaid.gov/iraq]. • USAID encourages cash donations because they: allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as staff time, warehouse space, etc); can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region; ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance. • General information on making donations and volunteering can be found at: o USAID: www.usaid.gov/iraq -> “How Can I Help?” o The Center for International Disaster Information: www.cidi.org or 703-276-1914 o InterAction: www.interaction.org -> “Guide to Appropriate Giving” o Information on relief activities of the humanitarian community can be found at www.reliefweb.org. *Fact Sheets can be obtained from the USAID web site at http://www.usaid.gov/iraq Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet - May 14, 2003 U.S. Government Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance to Iraq Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003 EMERGENCY RELIEF USAID/OFDA ............................................................................................................................................................$51,232,905 Administrative Administrative Costs Country-wide $3,406,209 AirServ Logistics Country-wide $2,151,585 The Cuny Center Research studies Country-wide $40,260 International Dispensary Association Health Country-wide $711,850 InterAction Coordination Kuwait City $92,860 IOM IDP programs Country-wide $5,000,000 IMC Capacity building Country-wide $202,900 Logistics Commodities and DART support Country-wide $8,044,110 SCF/US NGO Consortium Country-wide $883,131 UNICEF Health, nutrition, water/sanitation Country-wide $2,000,000 UNICEF Water/sanitation Country-wide $2,000,000 UN OCHA Coordination and Information Country-wide $200,000 UN OCHA Coordination and Information Country-wide $1,000,000 WFP Logistics and pre-positioning of food Country-wide $5,000,000 Cooperative Agreements IMC Quic k-impact projects: Food Security, Health, Nutrition, Water/Sanitation Country-wide $4,000,000 Health Al Basrah, Maysan, and Wasit Health, Water/Sanitation An Nasiriyah IRC Quick-impact projects: Health, Water/Sanitation Country-wide $3,000,000 Mercy Corps Quick-impact projects: Health, Non- Food Items, Shelter, Water/Sanitation Country-wide $3,000,000 Water/Sanitation Kirkuk Water/Sanitation Diyala SCF/US Quick-impact projects: Food Security, Health, Shelter, Nutrition, Non-Food Items, Water/Sanitation Country-wide $4,000,000 Nutrition Mosul Health, Transportation Mosul Water/Sanitation Al Basrah World Vision Quick-impact projects: Health, Logistics, Non-Food Items Country-wide $2,500,000 Water/Sanitation Al Anbar Hospital Rehabilitation Al Anbar CARE Quick-impact projects Country-wide $4,000,000 Water System Rehabilitation Al Anbar Blankets, Hygiene Kits Baghdad USAID/FFP ...............................................................................................................................................................$430,000,000 WFP Pre-positioning funding Country-wide $55,000,000 WFP Emerson Trust – 161,000 MT Country-wide $84,000,000 WFP P.L. 480 Title II emergency food commodities – 105,000 MT Country-wide $91,000,000 WFP Regional Purchase Country-wide $200,000,000 Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet - May 14, 2003 Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003 EMERGENCY RELIEF (cont.) USAID/OTI ................................................................................................................................................................... $5,042,344 Administrative Administrative Costs Country-wide $708,732 IOM Iraq Transition Initiative Country-wide $1,700,000 DAI Iraq Transition Initiative Country-wide $2,473,253 Internews Media Country-wide $160,359 STATE /PRM...............................................................................................................................................................$36,630,000 UNHCR Emergency assistance Country-wide $21,000,000 ICRC Emergency assistance Country-wide $10,000,000 IFRC Emergency assistance Country-wide $3,000,000 IOM TCN – transportation assistance Country-wide $2,630,000 RECONSTRUCTION USAID/ANE ...............................................................................................................................................................$95,700,000 ABT Health Country-wide $10,000,000 AFCAP Logistics Country-wide $8,000,000 Bechtel Capital Construction Country-wide $34,600,000 Reconstruction Mosul Reconstruction Arbil Reconstruction Umm Qasr Reconstruction Baghdad Reconstruction Al Basrah IRG Reconstruction Support Country-wide $9,800,000 RTI Local Governance Country-wide $7,900,000 Local Governance Al Basrah Local Governance Baghdad CAII Education Country-wide $1,000,000 Education Al Basrah UNICEF Health Country-wide $8,000,000 UNICEF Education Country-wide $1,000,000 WHO Health Country-wide $10,000,000 Health Mosul Health Baghdad SSA Port Management Umm Qasr $2,900,000 SkyLink Logistics Baghdad $2,500,000 TOTAL US AID ASSISTANCE TO IR AQ IN FY 2003................................................................................$581,975,249 TOTAL STATE ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003.................................................................................$36,630,000 TOTAL STATE/USAID ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003................................................................$618,605,249