USAID Iraq: Fact sheet no. 19, 24 April 2003

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Iraq – Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet #19, Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 April 24, 2003 Background • Humanitarian conditions have deteriorated in Iraq since the 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent Government of Iraq (GOI) manipulation of international sanctions. In 1996, the GOI accepted the U.N. Oil-for- Food Program (OFF), after which humanitarian conditions improved. • Between 1991 and 1996, the U.S. Government provided nearly $794 million in humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Iraq. • Since 1996, revenues from OFF have provided food, medicine, and other civilian goods to assist vulnerable Iraqis. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan noted in a letter to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), that the GOI has ordered and paid for food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies under OFF that have not yet been delivered. • The World Food Program (WFP) estimates that 16 million Iraqis —approximately 60 percent of the total population—rely solely on food rations distributed through OFF in order to meet household needs. • On March 20, 2003, Coalition forces began military operations in Iraq. As a result of the conflict, the U.N. Secretary General suspended the OFF food distribution system. On March 28, the UNSC unanimously passed resolution 1472 that allows the U.N. to administer Iraq’s OFF program for 45 days (until May 12). As the U.N. takes over the OFF program, WFP’s first priority is to contact recently active suppliers able to rapidly provide food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE SOURCE Internally Displaced in Iraq • 3,414 in Arbil* • 6,379 in Dahuk* • 54 in As Sulaymaniyah* • 3,000 in Badrah • 1,000 at Al Karama border with Jordan UNOHCI (April 16, 2003) UNOHCI (April 16, 2003) UNOHCI (April 16, 2003) UNOHCI (April 17, 2003) UNHCR (April 20, 2003) Refugees from Iraq • 94 – Jordan Old caseload refugees: • 203,000 – Iran • 5,100 – Saudi Arabia • 250,000-300,000 – Jordan • 40,000 – Syria UNHCR (April 22, 2003) U.S. Committee for Refugees (2001) *Estimates of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in public buildings, with host families, and in open air. Baghdad and Baghdad Governorate • On April 24, the International Committee for the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (ICRC) reported that lack of security at medical facilities and wastewater treatments plants is still dissuading employees from returning to work. ICRC indicated that the Rustumiya wastewater treatment plant is not functioning due to a lack of electrical power and the absence of staff. ICRC has managed to restore operations at the Dora wastewater treatment plant, restoring service to more than 70,000 residents of Baghdad. • On April 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that a WHO team of epidemiologists and engineers are working with members of the Iraqi National Public Health Laboratories to restore laboratory facilities throughout the city. WHO, with the assistance of the Jordanian Ministry of Health, is also working to restore Baghdad’s blood bank. Northern Iraq • Since March 20, ICRC has provided more than 228 families in the Arbil Governate with emergency non-food items, including cooking stoves, heaters, hygiene kits, and blankets. • An ICRC assessment in Kirkuk on April 22 found that hospitals have returned to their pre-war working schedules. Hospital staff in Kirkuk sited confusion over who is in charge of key departments and public services as a concern. Current Humanitarian Situation by Sector Food • On April 23, WFP reported that, to date, 1,607 trucks have transported more than 38,177 metric tons (MTs) of food aid to northern Iraq through Turkey. On April 23 alone, WFP was able to transfer more than 4,000 MTs of food through the Habur Gate border crossing. The food aid is intended primarily for the three northern Iraq governates Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – April 24, 2003 of Arbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah. Due to food stocks reaching pre-war levels in Kurdish areas, WFP is expanding its focus to areas formerly under GOI control. • On April 23, WFP reported that food prices have risen dramatically in the southern town of An Nasiriyah in the Dhi Qar Province. However, WFP reported that four main markets in the area are functioning and operating seven days a week. Additionally, according to WFP, all six mills in Dhi Qar are operating. Humanitarian Assistance • UNICEF reported on April 23 that U.N. international staff have returned to northern Iraq for the first time since the outbreak of the conflict. Population Movements • According to a U.N. Office of the Iraqi Program (UNOIP) report from April 23, most of the more than 10,000 IDPs in northern Iraq have returned to their places of origin. U.S. Government Response Deployment • The United States Government deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to the region to assess humanitarian needs and coordinate the emergency relief effort. DART members are located in Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey, Jordan, Cyprus, and Qatar and are working closely with U.N. agencies, NGOs, and in coordination with U.S. Military Civil Affairs personnel at the Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC). A portion of the DART has deployed to Arbil, and other DART members are conducting assessments in southern Iraq. • USAID deployed staff to the region to prepare for reconstruction efforts. Several members of the USAID Reconstruction Team are now co-located with the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) in Baghdad. Emergency Relief • USAID/OFDA is supporting NGO emergency assistance activities with quick -impact projects and IDP support. • USAID/FFP provided 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 International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Development Alternatives, Incorporated (DAI) to implement 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. To date, OTI has approved four ITI grants totaling $89,000 for community development activities in Umm Qasr. These humanitarian grants were developed in consultation with local leaders to address immediate community needs and concerns. • 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 IOM. Reconstruction • To date, USAID/ANE provided assistance for reconstruction activities in Iraq. USAID/ANE supported the United Nations Education Fund (UNICEF) and WHO for health, education, and water and sanitation needs, Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) to assess and manage the Umm Qasr port, Creative Associates International to address education issues, the Research Triangle Institute to pursue local governance initiatives, and the Air Force Contract Augmentation Program (AFCAP) to provide logistical support to all USAID/ANE operations. USAID/ANE also supported Bechtel National, Incorporated for emergency infrastructure repair and rehabilitation. Other Donor and International Organization Assistance* US $ DONOR (MILLIONS ) DATE (2003) ASSISTANCE SNAPSHOT Australia $62.5 April 22 100,000 MT of wheat, U.N. agencies, ICRC, and NGOs CIDA $67.5 March 26 U.N. agencies, international organizations (IOs), NGOs, CARE Canada for water and sanitation, food, shelter, and health Canada $3.8 ----- Response to U.N. Preparedness Measures Appeal China March 27 Tents Republic of $2.75 April 3 Blankets, sleeping bags, flour, sugar, water purification Croatia disinfectants Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – April 24, 2003 European $109.8 April 22 U.N. agencies, IOs, and NGOs Commission Finland $1.7 March 25 ICRC and UN OCHA France $10.7 Humanitarian Assistance Germany $11.77 April 8 UNHCR and ICRC India $20 April 4 WFP and U.N. Consolidated Appeal Ireland $55.3 April 15 U.N. agencies and NGOs for humanitarian assistance Japan $100 April 9 Humanitarian Assistance Korea $10 April 3 U.N. agencies and Korean NGOs Kuwait March 24 45,000 meals/day and an emergency medical center Netherlands $19.6 April 2 U.N. Consolidated Appeal and ICRC New Zealand $3.3 March 20 U.N. agencies, IOs, and NGOs for humanitarian relief Norway $21.6 March 20 NGOs for humanitarian assistance Russia March 22-23 150 MT humanitarian supplies for refugee preparation in Iran Spain $58.6 April 22 U.N. agencies, bilateral refugee assistance, and NGOs Sweden $5.4 March 27 Switzerland $21.5 April 16 ICRC Taiwan $4.3 March 27 Refugee assistance – food, medicine, nonfood items United $330 March 24 U.N. agencies, IOs, and NGOs – food, health kits, water units, Kingdom winter supply kits, primary health, IDP assistance OTHER DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO DATE** ..............................................................................................$ 920.1 MILLION *This compilation was drawn from donor government web sites and may represent 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 – April 24, 2003 U.S. GOVERNMENT HUMANITARIAN AND RECONST RUCTION ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003 EMERGENCY RELIEF USAID/OFDA ............................................................................................................................................................$49,224,514 Administrative CostsAdministrative $3,433,209 AirServ Logistics Country-wide $2,151,585 The Cuny Center Research studies Country-wide $40,260 IDA Health Country-wide $711,850 IMC Quick-impact projects Country-wide $4,000,000 IMC Capacity building Country-wide $202,900 InterAction Coordination Country-wide $92,860 IOM IDP programs Country-wide $5,000,000 IRC Quick-impact projects Country-wide $3,000,000 Logistics Commodities and DART support Country-wide $8,008,719 Mercy Corps Quick-impact projects Country-wide $3,000,000 NGOs Cooperative agreements Country-wide $4,000,000 SCF/US Quick-impact projects Country-wide $4,000,000 SCF/US NGO Consortium Country-wide $883,131 UNICEF Health, nutrition, 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 World Vision Quick-impact projects Country-wide $2,500,000 USAID/FFP ...............................................................................................................................................................$430,000,000 WFP Pre-positioning funding $55,000,000 WFP Emerson Trust – 161,000 MT $84,000,000 P.L. 480 Title II emergency food commodities – 105,000 MT $91,000,000 WFP Regional Purchase $200,000,000 USAID/OTI ................................................................................................................................................................... $2,333,612 IOM Iraq Transition Initiative Country-wide $1,700,000 DAI Iraq Transi tion Initiative Country-wide $473,253 Internews Media Country-wide $160,359 STATE/PRM...............................................................................................................................................................$36,630,000 UNHCR Emergency refugee assistance $21,000,000 ICRC Emergency assistance $10,000,000 IFRC Emergency assistance $3,000,000 IOM TCN – transportation assistance $2,630,000 RECONSTRUCTION USAID/ANE ...............................................................................................................................................................$78,400,000 AFCAP Logistics $4,000,000 Bechtel Capital Construction $34,600,000 IRG Reconstruction Support $7,100,000 RTI Local Governance $7,900,000 CAII Education $1,000,000 UNICEF Health, Education $9,000,000 WHO Health $10,000,000 SSA Port Management $4,800,000 TOTAL USAID ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003................................................................................$559,958,126 TOTAL STATE ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003.................................................................................$36,630,000 TOTAL STATE/USAID ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003................................................................$596,588,126