USAID Iraq: Fact sheet no. 45, 2 June 2003

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Iraq – Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet #45, Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 June 2, 2003 Current Humanitarian Situation (updated biweekly) Regional Updates Baghdad and Central Iraq • According to the Coalition Joint Task Force (CJTF), the Khadimiya (Central Sector) Garbage Department Fleet is coordinating garbage collection requirements for central Baghdad. As of June 7, a garbage truck curfew will be imposed from 1600 to 0600 hours every day to allow normal garbage collection to proceed from 0700 to 1500 hours daily with sufficient time for drivers to arrive and depart from work. Drivers are authorized to take garbage trucks to their residences in order to secure the vehicle, as long as they abide by the curfew. • Of the 36 communications facilities in Baghdad, 16 are damaged and 11 of those are critical to establishing ground communications. USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) is funding repairs to four of these facilities, including a studio and radio tower. Southern Iraq • On May 29, members of the USG Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) assessed the Al Basrah Public Health Laboratory, which is one of two major laboratories in Iraq, the other being in Baghdad. The facility served the entire southern Iraq region, and performed complex laboratory testing on blood, urine, stool, tissue, and cultured pathogens from sputum, stool, and blood. The site also included a dispensary and a clinic distributing public health information. The laboratory was systematically looted and is no longer operational. There is no mechanism in Al Basrah to test for cholera, HIV, hepatitis, or other standard tests. With poor water quality in Al Basrah, there remains concern for a summer cholera or hepatitis outbreak, and obtaining test results from Kuwaiti laboratories slows the response time. • According to the Kuwait Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC), implementation of Kuwaiti-donated reverse osmosis desalinization units may be possible utilizing feed water from well water sources or surface water sources with additional pre-treatment. At a meeting on May 31, UNICEF agreed to fund well drilling associated with this implementation and to provide sand filtration compact units for the pre-treatment of potential surface feed water sources with elevated levels of turbidity. Umm Qasr • The M/V Thor Sky arrived in Umm Qasr Port during the evening of May 30, loaded with 14,000 metric tons (MT) of bagged rice. In the first 48 hours, 7,918 MT of the bagged rice was offloaded onto trucks. A private trucking company from An Nasiriyah is distributing the rice to Wasit, Al Muthanna, Maysan, Karbala, and An Najaf Governorates. • The M/V Sea Express, carrying 9,527 MT of bulk wheat arrived in Umm Qasr on May 31. Port workers using two mobile vacuvators have discharged a total of 4,378 MT of the bulk wheat into trucks. • The M/V Nanking is due to arrive in Umm Qasr on June 2 with 10,000 MT of wheat flour, and the M/V Orbit will berth either on June 2 or June 3 with 15,000 MT of wheat flour. The M/V Thor Sky, M/V Nanking, and M/V Orbit are each carrying commodities purchased with funding from USAID given to the World Food Program (WFP). • USAID/OTI formally handed over three projects in Umm Qasr to the transitional Town Council on May 29. The three USAID/OTI grants, selected based on a list of priorities developed by community residents, were for a new town council building, a new community communication center, and youth sports facilities and equipment. These projects mark the first time there has been public access to the Internet in Umm Qasr, and the first time in decades that there have been administrative offices for a locally selected government. Through UDAID/OTI funding, the Town Council has provided a new pre-fabricated administration building. The community communication center project has supplied new computers with broadband Internet access and technical assistance, and the youth sports project includes a new cement basketball/volleyball court, restoration of a soccer field, and balls and nets for soccer, volleyball, and basketball. Sector Updates Abuse Prevention • On May 30, the Office of the Coalition Provisional Authority (OCPA) made public a comprehensive policy on dealing with mass graves that had been developed with the input of the DART’s Abuse Prevention Unit, among Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet - June 2, 2003 others. The policy allows, inter alia, for forensics specialists, identification of remains, and work with civil society. Sites will be safeguarded using local resources rather than relying on Coalition forces. Coordination • The Kuwait HOC continues to reduce in size as it transitions work to the Iraq Assistance Center in July. The Government of Kuwait said the HOC will continue to function. All Coalition military will be reassigned by July 1. Food • According to WFP, on June 1, the MOT began distributing food brought into Iraq by WFP to assist nearly 27 million Iraqi nationwide. An estimated 44,000 distribution agents are involved in this effort, and so far, WFP has transported approximately 440,000 MT of commodities into Iraq to assist vulnerable populations. • The MOT in Baghdad asked its food agents in all 18 governorates to begin collecting the June wheat flour and other foodstuff rations from MOT distribution centers on June 1. Due to shortages of milk powder, salt, and weaning cereal, these items will not be provided in June. The pulse ration was lowered from 0.5 kg per beneficiary to 0.25 kg, and the vegetable oil ration from 1.25 kg to 1 kg. An infant’s ration is eight cans of infant formula (3.6 kg); detergent (0.5 kg); and one bar of soap. The MOT announced that the overall cost for a single person and single infant ration is 250 Iraqi dinars ($0.25 - $0.33) each. • The MOT has begun publicizing the ration list for the June distribution. The notice also informs families that have either lost or never had their ration cards of where to apply to receive this month’s supply. • WFP will be printing and distributing new ration cards that are to be used from August to December. Current Reconstruction Situation (updated biweekly) Regional Updates Umm Qasr • The port is dredged to a depth of 9 meters and work continues with a depth goal of 11.5 meters overall and 13.5 meters alongside the grain pier. Dredging, the removal of unexploded ordnance and sunken vessels continues, along with power repair work on the port’s generators. The goal is for a portion of the port to be open by June 15 in order to accommodate bulk shipment vessels. Sector Updates Education • Iraqi school enrollment is increasing and final examination plans are in review, and targeted for the end of June. Infrastructure • Over the weekend, electricity generation reached the highest level since the conflict: 3,180 megawatts (MW). This is an increase of 15 percent country-wide from ten days ago. Most of the increased generation targeted Baghdad, which consumed 1200 MW, a 70 percent increase from ten days ago. • Bechtel, USAID’s private sector partner, continues to work with Iraqi and military officials to cope with the looting of power lines and transformers, which remains a concern for security and project operations. U.S. Government Response (New information is underlined) Emergency Relief • USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assis tance (OFDA) is supporting U.N. and NGO emergency assistance activities through quick-impact projects and internally displaced persons (IDP) support. USAID/OFDA supports projects in the sectors of agriculture, food security, health, logistics, nutrition, shelter, and water and sanitation. • USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) is providing emergency food commodities through the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust (BEHT) 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/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). In addition, USAID/OTI works with the Broadcasting Board of Governors to enhance the capacity of Radio SAWA to broadcast humanitarian and reconstruction reporting. • The Department of State’s Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (State/PRM) contributed assistance for the pre-positioning and emergency response activities of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (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). Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet - June 2, 2003 Commodities • On June 1, the DART donated 20 World Health Organization emergency health kits to the 24 health clinics in the Al Rashid district of Baghdad. The contents of the kits will be divided among the clinics based upon individual requirements for essential medical supplies, and will relieve some of the patient caseloads from Baghdad hospitals. 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. • Bechtel signed its first subcontract with an Iraqi company, the Al-Bunnia Trading Company. The scope of work is to design and construct a bridge bypass of about 1.5 km in length for a critical highway in the western part of the country. The Al Mat Bridge is located 300 km west of Baghdad and 180 km from the Jordanian border and is declared unsafe, although traffic is still moving across the damaged bridge. The bypass being constructed is a compacted dirt bypass with a bitumen surface (oil). Work began May 29 and should be completed in 14 days. Rebuilding the damaged bridge will take up to eight months. 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 (OFF), 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 and Cyprus, and are working closely with U.N. agencies, NGOs, and in coordination with U.S. Military Civil Affairs personnel. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet - June 2, 2003 Other Donor and International Organization Assistance* DONOR US $ (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 Assistance Belgium $4.4 April 29 ICRC, UNICEF Canada $74.6 March 26 WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA, ICRC, NGOs China March 27 Tents Czech Republic $41 May 22 UNHCR, WFP, and assistance for refugees, health, education, and reconstruction activities 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 assi stance 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 $382 April 29 U.N. agencies including WFP, IOs, and NGOs – food, health kits, Kingdom water units, winter supply kits, primary health, IDP assistance OTHER DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO DATE** ..................................................................................................$1,185 MILLION *This compilation was drawn from 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. *Additional Fact Sheets can be obtained from the USAID web site at http://www.usaid.gov/iraq Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet - June 2, 2003 Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003 EMERGENCY RELIEF USAID/OFDA ............................................................................................................................................................$51,601,793 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $3,775,097 AirServ Logistics Countrywide $2,151,585 The Cuny Center Research studies Countrywide $40,260 International Dispensary Association Health Countrywide $711,850 InterAction Coordination Kuwait City $92,860 IOM IDP programs Countrywide $5,000,000 IMC Capacity building Countrywide $202,900 Logistics Commodities and DART support Countrywide $8,044,110 SCF/US NGO Consortium Countrywide $883,131 UNICEF Health, nutrition, water/sanitation Countrywide $4,000,000 UN OCHA Coordination and Information Countrywide $1,200,000 WFP Logistics and pre-positioning of food Countrywide $5,000,000 Cooperative Agreements IMC Quick-impact projects: Food Security, Health, Nutrition, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $4,000,000 Health Al Basrah, Maysan, Wasit, Kirkuk Health, Water/Sanitation An Nasiriyah IRC Quick-impact projects: Health, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $3,000,000 Mercy Corps Quick-impact projects: Health, Non- Food Items, Shelter, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $3,000,000 Water/Sanitation Kirkuk Water/Sanitation Diyala Water/Sanitation Wasit Water/Sanitation Al Basrah SCF/US Quick-impact projects: Food Security, Health, Shelter, Nutrition, Non-Food Items, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $4,000,000 Nutrition Mosul Health, Transportation Mosul Water/Sanitation Al Basrah Health Mosul Health Baghdad Nutrition Baghdad Water/Sanitation, Health Al Basrah IDP Support Al Basrah World Vision Quick-impact projects: Health, Logistics, Non-Food Items Countrywide $2,500,000 Water/Sanitation Al Anbar Hospital Rehabilitation Al Anbar CARE Quick-impact projects Countrywide $4,000,000 Water System Rehabilitation Al Anbar Blankets, Hygiene Kits Baghdad Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet - June 2, 2003 U.S. Government Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance to Iraq* USAID/FFP ...............................................................................................................................................................$389,333,000 WFP Operations Countrywide $55,000,000 WFP Emerson Trust – 81,500 MT Countrywide $45,633,000 WFP P.L. 480 Title II emergency food commodities – 105,000 MT Countrywide $88,700,000 WFP Regional Purchase – 330,000 MT Countrywide $200,000,000 USAID/OTI ................................................................................................................................................................... $5,442,344 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $708,732 IOM Iraq Transition Initiative Countrywide, Umm Qasr $1,700,000 DAI Iraq Transition Initiative Countrywide, Baghdad, Mosul, Umm Qasr $2,473,253 Internews Media Countrywide $160,359 SAWA Media Countrywide $400,000 STATE/PRM ..............................................................................................................................................................$36,630,000 UNHCR Emergency assistance Countrywide $21,000,000 ICRC Emergency assistance Countrywide $10,000,000 IFRC Emergency assistance Countrywide $3,000,000 IOM TCN – transportation assistance Countrywide $2,630,000 RECONSTRUCTION USAID/ANE ...............................................................................................................................................................$97,700,000 ABT Health Countrywide $10,000,000 AFCAP Logistics Countrywide $8,000,000 Bechtel Capital Construction Countrywide, Mosul, Arbil, Umm Qasr, Baghdad, Al Basrah $34,600,000 IRG Reconstruction Support Countrywide $9,800,000 RTI Local Governance Countrywide, Al Basrah, Baghdad $8,900,000 CAII Education Countrywide, Al Basrah $1,000,000 UNICEF Health, Water and Sanitation Countrywide $8,000,000 UNICEF Education Countrywide $1,000,000 UNESCO Textbook Printing Countrywide $1,000,000 WHO Health Countrywide, Mosul, Baghdad $10,000,000 SSA Port Management Umm Qasr $2,900,000 SkyLink Logistics Baghdad $2,500,000 TOTAL USAID ASSIS TANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003 ...............................................................................$544,077,137 TOTAL STATE ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003.................................................................................$36,630,000 TOTAL STATE/USAID ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003................................................................$580,707,137 *Figures in funding sheet are subject to change and do not represent a final official accounting of USG obligations.