USAID Iraq: Fact sheet no. 45, 18 August 2004

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION AND HUMANITARIAN RELIEF August 18, 2004 Weekly Update #45, 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 management, economic growth, community development, democracy and governance, and transition initiatives. USAID/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 Foundation for a water treatment unit at a thermal power plant in southern Iraq Table of Contents Program Overview 2 Economic Growth 9 Electricity 2 Food Security 10 Airports 2 Agriculture 10 Umm Qasr Seaport 3 Marshlands 12 Bridges, Roads, and Railroads 3 Democracy and Governance 13 Telecommunications 3 Transition Initiatives 14 Water and Sanitation 3 Community Action Program 15 Health 6 Financial Summary 19 Education 7 1 Program Descriptions and Accomplishments 1. Restore Essential Infrastructure Electricity -- Objectives include the emergency repair or rehabilitation of power generation facilities and electrical grids. Teams of engineers from the Ministry of Electricity, USAID, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 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: • By October 2003, facilitated the rehabilitation of the national electric grid to produce a peak capacity greater than the pre-war level of 4,400 MW. In June, after months of power reduction for generation unit maintenance, generation began steadily increasing and reached 5,000 MW in July 2004. Daily production is now regularly exceeding 110,000 MW hours. • Collaborating with other US Government organizations and private sector partners to restore Iraqi electricity on projects to repair thermal units, replace and repair turbines, rehabilitate the transmission network, and install and restore generators. Highlights this Week: • A new power plant operations and maintenance program to improve the performance of thermal and combustion turbine power plants throughout Iraq has begun. This project will help to ensure the long-term sustainability of these reconstruction projects and improve plant output reliability and availability. • As a result of rehabilitation work by the Ministry of Electricity and USAID at thermal power plants in southern Iraq, the MW hours at the three southern thermal plants have increased more than 85% from 384,489 MW hours in July 2003 to 713,188 MW hours in July 2004. This work has included emergency repairs, work on cooling systems, heat exchangers, and water treatment systems. In addition to the three thermal power plants, two combustion turbine and one petrochemical plant also operate in the south. Maintenance upgrades at these plants are being supported by the Ministry of Electricity, Projects and Contracts Management Office (PCO), the US Army Corps of Engineers, and USAID. Total monthly MW hours at all plants in southern Iraq increased from 422,909 in July 2003 to 799,405 in July 2004. • Rehabilitation of the heat exchangers and the water treatment units is continuing at four power generation stations in Basrah Governorate. Rehabilitation of the heat exchangers is complete at one project site and continuing at the remaining three sites. At two of the sites, the contractor is repairing the existing water treatment units, expansion of the unit has begun at the third site and work at the fourth site began at the end of July. This work is expected to be completed by the end of November. The rehabilitation of the water treatment units is essential for the plants’ operations, as they allow the production of high quality boiler water for the thermal plants and service and cooling water for the combustion turbine plants. This will improve the reliability of electrical generation and extend the life of the plants. Site preparation has begun under a new USAID project to rehabilitate 13 existing substations and construct 24 new substations in Baghdad. These 37 substations will improve the distribution and reliability of electricity for more than two million Baghdad residents. Four new mobile substations will also be deployed to provide temporary power while the rehabilitation work is underway. 2 Airports and Seaports -- 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. Also: managing port administration, coordinating transport from the seaport, and facilitating cargo-handling services such as warehousing, shipment tracking, and storage. Accomplishments to Date: Airport • 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. Seaport • USAID’s $14 million program for the management of Foundation for a water treatment the southern Iraqi port of Umm Qasr was completed unit at a thermal power plant on June 30. in southern Iraq • Reopened port to commercial traffic June 2003; completed first passenger vessel test in July 2003; Cargo, which has increased by 400% since June 2003, includes bulk grain, bagged rice, sugar, and construction materials. • Dredged the port to an average depth of 12.5 meters. Previously, the port was 9-10 meters deep, and limited cargo could arrive only during high tide. o Two Iraqi dredgers, which have been rehabilitated by USAID, are assisting with maintenance dredging. • Instituted port tariffs, which provide revenue stream for financially sustainable port operations. Roads, Bridges and Rail -- Objectives include: Rebuilding major transportation routes that were damaged during the conflict or from two decades of neglect in order to restore the flow of goods and services, including humanitarian assistance. Accomplishments to Date: Bridges • Demolished irreparable sections of three key bridges and started reconstruction. Two of the three are complete and have reopened to traffic. • Repaired a floating bridge on the Tigris River, improving traffic for approximately 50,000 travelers a day. 3 Highlights this Week: • The reconstruction of a critical bridge in the city of Tikrit in Salah ad Din Governorate is continuing. Currently, the bridge has a single lane of traffic flow on the south side of the bridge. The sub-contractor is tensioning cables, which will improve structural stability. Some rebar and shoring work, which reinforce the bridge’s roadway is also continuing. After this work is complete, the contractor will be able to pour the final layers of deck concrete and lay a final layer of asphalt. This project is approximately 85 percent complete. This initiative is part of USAID’s Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Program and is restoring an intermediate term, high priority bridge for northern Iraq. It is an important link in the highway system for aid and commerce over the Tigris River and provides local residents with vehicle and pedestrian access. Base of the roadway at the Tikrit Bridge Rebar and shoring work on the Tikrit Bridge Railroads • Reconstructing 56 km of rail track between Umm Qasr and Shuaiba Junction near Basrah and 16 km of siding at Umm Qasr Seaport. 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 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. 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: • The rehabilitation of two wastewater treatment plants in Baghdad is continuing; these plants will treat nearly 75% of the wastewater flow from Baghdad municipality once they are complete. At the wastewater plant in southern Baghdad, mechanical and electrical work is continuing. This project is expected to be complete in October. At the plant in northern Baghdad, the civil, mechanical, and 4 electrical subcontractors are continuing with rehabilitation work, and are scheduled to be complete by December 2004. These projects are being supported by USAID’s Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Program. • Improvements to water and sanitation systems in five villages in Ninawa’ Governorate are improving the delivery of safe, potable water and the functionality of sewerage systems for Iraqis in rural areas. These villages were originally Kurdish settlements, many of whom were displaced under the former regime and are now returning from their areas of displacement. In these villages, water sources are often too saline for human or animal use. To resolve this, deep wells were dug, pump Repaired Archimedes screw, which helps move the water up to the beginning of the treatment process houses with generators were built, and water system piping was installed to connect the villages to newly constructed, elevated water storage tanks. In addition to the water network, new latrines were constructed and hygiene training was provided to all beneficiaries. As part of this project, a mobile medical team was also provided for these villages. The team consisted of two doctors, two nurses, and two health educators and was developed to ensure that the health needs are met in the community. The mobile team fully coordinates with the Department of Health to access needed vaccines for rural immunization services-- especially to women of child bearing age and children under five. 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: • Rehabilitating 110 primary health care clinics throughout the country. • Delivering primary healthcare kits to 600 clinics countrywide. • Training more than 750 primary healthcare providers in maternal and child health services. • Training health providers and communities on prevention and early intervention on causes of child mortality such as diarrhea. • Re-establishing the country’s vital disease surveillance system. • Supporting $1.3 million in grants for Iraqi NGO and civil society healthcare efforts. • Distributing eight million liters of clean water a day. • Immunized more than three million children under the age of five through routine immunization activities and five million school aged children aged 6-12 against measles, mumps and rubella. • Administered tetanus toxoid vaccine to more than 700,000 pregnant women. • Distributing high-protein biscuits to more than 240,000 children and pregnant and nursing mothers. • Supporting the development of a strategic plan to guide sector development over the next several years. Highlights this Week: • USAID is committed to improving nutrition in Iraq with a special emphasis on expectant mothers and children under the age of five. The goal is being met through USAID’s partnership with UNICEF as well 5 as through American NGOs partnering with USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). Through UNICEF, USAID is delivering supplies for a nutrition program targeted at mothers and babies. UNICEF is continuing to deliver high protein biscuits to all governorates. In June, 379 metric tons of biscuits were delivered throughout the country. In addition, 8 million capsules of vitamin A, 96 breastfeeding textbooks for training, and 4,000 posters of weight for height charts were delivered throughout the governorates. UNICEF is also developing a program for wheat fortification to add iron and folic acid to Iraq’s wheat supplies. These nutrients are critical for the proper development of babies. • New equipment, building repairs, and training at a spinal hospital in Baghdad are improving specialized care for Iraq’s critical spinal cord injury patients. This 125 bed hospital is the only specialized facility for spinal cord injuries in Iraq. The hospital was heavily looted and damaged after the recent conflict. New equipment for the hospital included: spinal cord hospital beds; recovery trolleys; bathing chairs; curtains for patient privacy; wheel chairs; specialized toilet chairs; and hydraulic patient lifts. Critical laboratory instruments and materials were also provided. This project also provided 12 new air conditioning and heating units for the building, as the existing system was not sufficient to maintain a comfortable temperature for patients who often have a difficult time adjusting to temperature changes and extremes. To improve the skills of hospital staff, hospital nurses received training to cover technical aspects of the computerized spinal beds, as well as basic upkeep, cleaning, and patient positioning. Training and cleaning materials were also provided to the hospital cleaning staff. This initiative was supported by a U.S. NGO in partnership with USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). • Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in rural areas of Diyala’ Governorate are receiving health care services from three mobile health teams supported by a U.S. NGO and USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). These IDPs of Arabic ethnicity were displaced by Kurds returning after the recent conflict to reclaim their homes. Each mobile health team consists of one doctor, two nurses, and one dispenser. The teams also provided health and hygiene information, especially as it relates to safe water practices. In the past two months, 4,304 IDPs have received basic health services. Among this IDP population, 946 children under the age of five received medical screening and treatment. All children who had not received vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and hepatitis were vaccinated. In addition, 127 pregnant women received antenatal care and benefited from the health education campaign on pregnancy, breastfeeding, and assisted deliveries. None of the women examined had complications due to pregnancy, but all needed iron and folic acid supplements, which they received. The women in their third semester who intended to deliver at home were given a clean delivery kit, adapted from a United National Population Fund (UNFPA) model. Each kit contains one plastic sheet, one cotton sheet, one bar of soap, new razor blades, and one umbilical clamp. The mobile health team provided special orientation to the women on how to use the clean delivery kit. Additional items were provided for the newborn baby such as a towel, baby soap, and lotion. The NGO also identified and trained 25 Community Health Volunteers (CHV's) from among the IDP population to implement a health education promotion campaign. The CHV's have conducted 77 health promotion sessions and distributed 2,000 leaflets on environmental health and hygiene promotion in IDP locations throughout the Governorate. Approximately 1,305 IDPs, of which 53 percent were women, participated in these sessions. 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. 6 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 included 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. 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 Supporting the Higher Education and Development (HEAD) Program. Awarded five grants worth an estimated $20.7 million for U.S.-Iraqi university partnerships. The program supports rehabilitation of research laboratories, rebuilding library resources and establishing internet centers; invigorating academic human resources and university administration leadership through workshops, seminars, conferences, research grants and one year graduate studies in the U.S.; stimulating curriculum development through introduction of supplementary new materials. o In collaboration with Iraqi university partners, research laboratory needs assessments have been completed and procurement is underway; library facilities and internet centers have been rehabilitated and prepared for receiving materials and equipment; workshops, seminars and conferences are underway allowing senior Iraqi faculty to present papers in an international forum. 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: Financial • Strengthening accounting, budgeting and lending activities at Iraq’s commercial banks. • Evaluating and updating commercial laws pertaining to private sector and foreign investment; assisted in the development of the new company law. 7 • Recommended reforms for insurance regulations and trained Iraqi insurance staff. • Improved statistical analysis, monetary policymaking, and bank supervision procedures at Iraq’s Central Bank Fiscal • Assisting in developing, installing and training staff to use the Financial Management Information System (FMIS), a new accounting and reporting system for all Iraqi ministries. • 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. Private sector development • Providing technical assistance as well as information on contracting opportunities for Iraqi businesses through business centers. • Assisting Iraqi companies to prepare applications for loans ranging from $2 to 5 million through the firm- level assistance program. • Created more than 77,000 public works jobs through the National Employment Program. • Assisted CPA in managing a $21-million micro-credit program. • Provided technical assistance for the re-opening of the Iraq Stock Exchange after it was closed down for more than 15 months; 3.6 billion Iraqi dinars ($2.4 million USD) in shares were traded in the first day. Utilities and Regulation • Developed an Electricity Master Plan and a Telecommunications Master Plan as a basis for reforms in these two sectors. Special projects • 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. 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. • Provided technical assistance for the Oil for Food transition to prepare Iraqi ministries to assume responsibility for OFF contracts. • Developed a government-wide IT strategy to support the automation of planning, budgeting and reporting processes across ministries. Highlights this Week: • USAID/Iraq Economic Project advisors are continuing to provide assistance to the Iraq Stock Exchange to ensure the success of the market and instill best practices related to Trading boards at the Iraq Stock Exchange financial markets. This assistance includes training activities, regulatory reform, and policy development. • A total of 40 Loan and Grant Management Unit and Iraqi Ministry staff have been trained in financial and project management as part of USAID’s Economic Recovery, Reform, and Sustained Growth Project. Ministry staff represented the Ministries of Finance, Planning, Education, Environment, and Labor and Social Affairs. These staff members will now help manage the Loan and Grant Management Unit of the Directorate General for the Iraqi Fund for External Development, established by the Ministry of Finance in May 2004. This new unit is tracking and dispersing funds pledged at the Iraq Donor’s Conference in Madrid, held in October 2003. USAID advisors initially worked with the Ministry of Finance to establish the unit, developed the unit’s operational guidelines, and trained its staff. • The Ministry of Finance has begun receiving remittances from the wage withholding tax, which was implemented with technical assistance from USAID. The Ministry began collecting the tax on July 1, and 8 more than 57 entities have remitted more than 400,000,000 dinars, which does not include withholdings from public sector employees. Taxpayer requests for assistance and information are received daily by the Iraqi Tax Commission (ITC). The ITC is responding to the requests with letters and approximately five information sessions on the new tax each day. The materials and techniques used by the ITC were developed by USAID advisors. • VSAT satellite communication systems have been installed at the customs department and the Iraqi Tax Commission central offices to improve information flow between the two organizations. VSAT means a Very Small Aperture Terminal – which is a ground station for a communications satellite that can handle transmission rates of up to 56 kilobits per second. The installation of the system will allow local and remote taxation offices around the country to communicate directly. This system will improve the tracking and collection of taxes throughout the country by allowing the various taxation offices to streamline their communications and coordinate their records and activities. • Customs officers are continuing to receive training from USAID advisors on the use of the computer system used to collect the reconstruction levy. In late July, advisors from USAID’s Economic Recovery, Reform, and Sustained Growth Program visited four primary customs points in southern Iraq and conducted training for 28 customs staff to maximize utilization of the computer system. All of these sites are now prepared for the installation of VSAT systems, which will allow electronic Data entry into the FMIS at the Ministry of Finance communication among the posts and with the headquarters at the Iraqi Tax Commission. Through this program, advisors also arranged for the establishment of a Rafidain Bank office at Umm Qasr seaport to aid in collection and tracking of the levy. • Ministry of Finance staff has now begun entering live July FY 2004 expenditure vouchers and recording operational vouchers into the Financial Management Information System (FMIS). This is being done in parallel with manual operations and a full reconciliation will be done at the end of entering all the July data. The entry of data into the system makes the FMIS fully operational in this Ministry. This system is being implemented in all Iraqi government ministries with technical support from USAID advisors. 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) to re-establish the Public Distribution System in less than 30 days, avoiding a humanitarian food crisis and maintaining food security. • Contributed cash and food aid totaling $425 million to WFP’s emergency operations immediately following the conflict, making the U.S. 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. 9 • 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 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 Agriculture Reconstruction and Development Program for Iraq (ARDI) to formulate a long-term vision for the sector, while designing activities for quick impact including: • Summer and Winter Crop Technology Demonstrations: On 334 hectares in 15 governorates, 128 farm families established plots with new winter crop varieties for extension field days. Under the summer demonstration program, farmers are planting vegetables, maize, and rice. • Veterinary Hospital Renovation: The renovation of a hospital in At’ Tamim Governorate was completed in early April 2003 under an 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 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 grant that will benefit 4,509 students. • Seven grants 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 herders and farmers face in the north and central regions. • The Ministry of Agriculture is establishing 18 date palm nurseries throughout Iraq in support of its goal to reestablish Iraq's dominant position in the international date market, a position it lost under the former regime. Dates are a national treasure for Iraq with both symbolic and economic significance. This project, which receives support and technical assistance from USAID, will ensure the preservation of Iraq’s 621 varieties of date palm. • 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 an agricultural extension services program for farmers in late May. Extension agents are working with farmers to teach agricultural best practices by 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, as extension services have been successful in increasing agricultural productivity in developing countries around the world. 10 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. • 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. • Representatives from the Iraq Marshlands Restoration Program and USAID attended a water resources management academic conference in the Netherlands. Also, the Minister of Water Resources just returned from a study tour of the U.S. that included a tour of the Mississippi Delta. USAID’s $4-million marshlands initiative includes these study tours as a primary objective in order to strengthen the skills and international linkages of Iraqi academics and scientists. 4. Improve Efficiency and Accountability of Government 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 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 19,000 democracy dialogue activities throughout Iraq. 11 Highlights this Week: • More than 550 participants attended civic dialogue conferences in Salah ad Din Governorate last week. The conferences were quite successful and representatives from the governorate council, community leaders, University faculty, and the Governor have all requested to be informed of upcoming conferences so that they might attend. The conferences are supported by USAID’s Local Governance Program and typically involve 75-250 people addressing a variety of topics on democracy, tailored to the interests and needs of the area. • Senior managers from the Electricity Directorates in An Najaf, Karbala’, Babil, and Ad Diwaniyah participated in organizational development training workshops to improve the management of electricity delivery in their governorates. These workshops, conducted on July 31 and August 1, are part of a series of lectures designed to educate senior staff on the concept of managing change, a prerequisite to instituting the kind of structural and technical changes that address service delivery issues. The overall Organizational Development curriculum is over 50 hours. The topics at the training included Benchmarking in Local Government, Use of Database Applications for Organizational Information Needs, and Principles of Management: Problem Solving. • A new automated reporting system for local government departments in Babil Governorate is improving the management and delivery of services throughout the governorate. The database-driven system is being developed by USAID Local Governance Program staff. It will be capable of providing statistical and performance tracking information to enhance decision-making, oversight responsibility, and timely reporting. Currently, developers are finalizing the plan for the system structure, features, training requirements, and implementation schedule. • On July 31 and August 1, 64 participants from the Departments of Education, Health, Electricity, Traffic, and Municipality in Babil Governorate attended training on Microsoft Office software and Internet skills. These courses were conducted at LGP’s Information Center in the south central region. This center is experiencing increased demand for its computer training services along with an increase in the number of inquiries on software training in specialized subject areas such as engineering and mapping. This demand is indicative of the rapid proliferation of computers in local departments and the growing availability of access to the Internet. Since the beginning of the year, the LGP Information Center has trained 6,314 participants for a total of 12,628 training contact hours (contact hours represents the number of participants by the number of hours of instruction). • From July 25 to 31, more than 330 officials from local councils at the city and neighborhood levels in Babil Governorate participated in training supported by LGP. The sessions focused on council agendas, by-laws, the delivery of essential services, and community outreach. These activities continue LGP’s efforts to improve the ability of local governments to deliver and expand access to essential services while fostering increased transparency. • Forty-one directors from the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Ministries of Health, Education and Finance participated in a three-day basic management training workshop, which began on August 25. LGP staff delivered the training using an experiential learning model which involved the use of role- playing, small group sessions, and case studies. This is the second cooperative training involving Arbil and At’ Tamim Governorate Local Government Representatives. The first was for the staff of the Ministries of Public Works, Municipalities, and Industry. These training sessions were developed based on an LGP assessment of management training needs conducted in March and April 2004. • The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is continuing collaboration with USAID’s Local Governance Program (LGP) to increase tourism and improve the local economy in Iraq’s Kurdish region. On August 3, the final session in a three week International Tourism Seminar for 13 technical staff of the KRG State Board of Tourism was conducted by LGP. The professional course covered tourism development policy, attraction development, marketing and promotion, web site development (www.kurdistantourism.com), and organizational development. A certificate ceremony was held at the end of the course for all participants. At the ceremony, textbooks and technical materials were presented to serve as the core of an 12 updated reference library for the Board. In addition to providing training opportunities, LGP is also providing technical assistance to the Tourism Advisory Committee of the State Board of Tourism. • Local government representatives from Al Basrah are discussing ways to improve the delivery of services and are receiving technical assistance from USAID’s Local Governance Program. On July 28, governorate department heads met with LGP to discuss the 2004 budget/finance assistance program. Three officials from Basrah governorate as well as 17 Department heads attended the meeting. LGP is also working with governorate officials to identify problems with waste removal and trash collection in the city and developing solutions to problems which are impeding efficient solid waste collection. • The Baghdad City, Governorate, and Regional Councils are receiving technical support and training from USAID’s Local Governance Program (LGP) to build the capacity of these groups. Currently, LGP advisors are working with the leadership of the City Council on the formation of a National Association of Local Governments. Literature pertaining to governance structures is being reviewed and bylaws for the creation of the association are being drafted. Baghdad City and Governorate councils are also receiving coaching on their responsibilities and roles as representatives in Iraq. • A municipality in a Diyala’ Governorate city is working with LGP to improve sanitation services in their area. Under an LGP rapid response grant, the city received two garbage trucks, two container trucks, and twenty-six garbage rollover containers. The solid waste equipment will enable the municipality to keep the city clean through the enhanced collection and disposal of solid waste generated from residential and commercial establishments. Since the end of the conflict the garbage collection and disposal system has completely broken down, leaving mounds of trash littering the city's streets, footpaths, rivers, canals, and ditches. The Department of Public Works estimates that 243 metric tons of household trash is generated in the city each day. However, the department only has the capacity to collect and dispose 60 metric tons per day or 25% of the total solid waste generated. LGP staff also worked with the municipality on the rehabilitation of a 3 km sewer pipeline. The project restored and improved the sanitation services in one neighborhood with a population of 15,000 people. The project was implemented through a rapid response grant to an Iraqi construction company. LGP advisors will follow-up with the Sewage Directorate to ensure the sustainability of the project and to create a public awareness program on solid waste management which will help avoid future blockages. 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 1,463 small grants totaling more than $109 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. 13 Highlights this Week: • A local non-governmental organization in northern Iraq has received a grant to present a three-month outreach program to residents of two vulnerable rural communities. These towns have high rates of poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment. Many of the households are headed by women because male residents were killed or ‘disappeared’ by the former regime. The outreach workshops will address basic physical and mental health, child development, and effective parenting issues. They will also educate the women about how to be active participants in a democracy. The grant from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative will provide materials to support the workshops and transportation and stipends for the program presenters. • A social services organization in northern Iraq will conduct a mobile outreach project to educate people, particularly families and children, about the basic rights of children. The NGO will use theater, art and sports activities to communicate their message of child abuse prevention. They will also provide engaging activities for young people that will help them identify their interests and talents and encourage them to become productive members of society. The award from ITI will provide materials for the program, as well as transportation and stipends for program staff. • 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 effort to ensure that all of its assistance addresses the disabled, as feasible. Recent initiatives addressing the needs of the disabled include: o ITI has awarded a grant to an organization that provides services to individuals with physical disabilities in a rural area of northern Iraq. The group is helping to integrate disabled people into society by giving them skills to obtain employment and educating people about the value of all human beings in the community. The grant will allow the NGO to re-equip and supply its vocational education program with sewing machines and computers, as well as provide other materials for the expansion of its English language, music and health awareness programs. o Twenty-four physically handicapped individuals are taking part in computer training courses offered with the support of a grant from ITI. Many Iraqis have been disabled as a result of past violent conflicts, land mines, or from hereditary conditions. These people receive little aid from the government beyond that required for subsistence. Concerned individuals have established a nongovernmental organization in northern Iraq with the goal of providing rehabilitation services and assisting the handicapped to become active members of their communities. The NGO is offering the courses that will teach basic word processing, spreadsheet and database programs, as well as how to use the Internet and email. These are valuable skills in the workplace and will help the disabled obtain employment that will allow them to become self-sufficient. • Two organizations that provide services to children and young people in northern Iraq recently completed programs with assistance from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative (ITI). The NGOs conducted mobile outreach activities to assist children and promote social change. Poverty is an overwhelming problem in the communities served by these grants and children are the most vulnerable elements of the communities. The groups used drama, art and sports activities, discussions of basic rights and the distribution of magazines and pamphlets to engage the young participants and their parents. They report that the projects were a positive step to promoting social change and educating a new generation of Iraqis on the concepts of peace and civil society. • USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative (ITI) supports the efforts of Iraqi citizens and institutions to address local priority needs including social, political and economic priorities. ITI recently approved three grants to support local economic development initiated by Iraqis. o A business group in a northern city installed Internet and other communications equipment in its offices with assistance from an ITI grant. The group is democratically elected by a diverse membership of business owners. It represents their interests and provides government offices with 14 information concerning trade and commercial services. With the addition of new equipment, the group will be able to expand the services it provides and more effectively represent its members. o A technical college in southern Iraq will expand its program of courses with the assistance of a grant from ITI. Government officials and businessmen have identified the lack of technical skills among potential workers as a critical factor preventing them from being employed and inhibiting the growth of local industries and businesses. Unemployment and the inability to provide for their families have created despair among young men. With the grant, the college will obtain equipment and supplies enabling it to offer vocational training in welding, petrochemical management and electrical engineering for 470 students. Having these opportunities will help alleviate tensions and increase people’s confidence in the economic and political stability of the region. o A newly established business center in a city in central Iraq has received a grant from ITI, allowing it to begin operations. The center will be a resource to new and existing enterprises in the region and aid them in developing economic opportunities. The grant will provide office furniture and equipment to the center. As opportunities increase, the center will facilitate collaboration between the various players of the business sector. • An NGO in a northern governorate has received furniture and equipment through a grant from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative. The organization will use the assistance to establish a women’s library and to conduct computer and literacy classes for women. Under the former regime, women throughout the country suffered many kinds of oppression. The NGO has been working to build up trust with their membership and find out the types of services they would like the center to provide. This project has been initiated in response to requests for literacy, computer, sewing and women’s rights courses. • A social action organization in northern Iraq that provides services to low-income women has received furniture and equipment from an ITI grant. The group is using the supplies to host workshops that will help its members obtain job skills and lead to suitable employment. While the workshops focus on teaching sewing skills, they are also an opportunity for the women to interact with others from different cultural or ethnic groups, and to develop support systems with others in similar circumstances and with shared experiences. Learning new skills and developing new relationships will help to empower the women to create positive change in their lives. 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 670 Community Action Groups in 17 governorates. The projects undertaken by these groups are part of a campaign targeting grassroots democratic development. • CAP has committed $78 million for 1,485 projects across Iraq; 1,145 projects have 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 259 completed projects and another 44 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 125 projects. 15 • 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 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 361 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. Highlights this Week: • A recent Community Action Program (CAP) project is augmenting USAID’s work with beekeepers and the Bee Products Department of the Ministry of Agriculture under the Agriculture Reconstruction and Development Program for Weighing babies during the child screening process Iraq (ARDI). CAP worked with beekeepers in four communities in As Sulaymaniyah Governorate to modernize their hives and to educate them on modern beekeeping practices. • Baghdad community members have completed the construction of a 3,500 meter fence in Baghdad along the Baghdad-Basrah railway track to improve safety in the area. Garbage tossed on both sides of the track over a long period of time has resulted in piles of refuse that are a fertile place for planting mines and bombs causing severe damage and casualties. The community decided that the best way to protect the railway and themselves is to build a fence on both sides of the railway. USAID’s Community Action Screening IDPs in Diyala’ Governorate Program facilitated the construction of a fence, which is 180m high. • A community outside of a major city in Al Anbar Governorate has opened a youth community center. The neighborhood formed a Community Action Group with the assistance of USAID’s Community Action Program (CAP) and decided that local youth needed a facility in which they can both socialize and receive vocational training. USAID and the community renovated and resourced an existing structure to serve as the community center. Activities included structural renovation, painting, electrical repair, and the provision of needed commodities such as tables, chairs and other supplies. The community plans to organize social events at the facility and to use local professionals to provide a range of vocational training to help these young people find jobs. 16 USAID Iraq Reconstruction Financial Summary Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003-2004* RECONSTRUCTION USAID/ANE ..................................................................................... Subtotal: $3,334,388,054 Abt Associates Health Countrywide $20,995,000 AFCAP Logistics Countrywide $91,500,000 Army Corps of Engineers Architecture and Engineering services Countrywide $22,000,000 BearingPoint Economic Governance Countrywide $79,583,885 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, Basra Hospital Countrywide $1,363,276,367 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 $51,698,152 RTI Local Governance Countrywide $236,911,000 CAII Education Countrywide $56,503,000 CAII II Education II Countrywide $50,670,000 CEPPS Education Activities in Support of Electoral Processes Countrywide $18,000,000 CEPPS Iraq Governing Council Countrywide $675,000 CEPPS Transitional Government Countrywide $20,700,000 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 $5,038,772 17 University Partners Consortium led by the Research Foundation of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook which includes Columbia University, Boston University and Oxford University (England), University of Hawaii, DePaul University College of Law and the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences in Siracusa, Italy; and Jackson State University and the Mississippi Consortium for International Development; and Oklahoma State University. Baghdad University, Al Mustansiriyah University in Baghdad, Mosul University, Mosul University’s College of Agriculture and Forestry in Hamam al-Alil, Basrah University, Al-Anbar University, and University of Salahaddin. $20,730,000 Yankee Group Telecoms Planning Countrywide $58,150 VEGA Business Skills Training Countrywide $4,800,000 UNDP Trust Fund Contribution Countrywide $5,000,000 World Bank Trust Fund Contribution Countrywide $5,000,000 EMERGENCY RELIEF USAID/DCHA/OFDA ...............................................................................................$110,648,771 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $7,389,348 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 $6,545,780 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 $16,252,898 IRC Health, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $7,800,411 Mercy Corps Health, Non-Food Items, Shelter, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $8,499,786 SCF/US Food Security, Health, Shelter, Nutrition, Non-Food Items, Water/Sanitation, NGO Consortium Countrywide $7,957,783 World Vision Health, Logistics, Non-Food Items, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $6,793,739 CARE Quick-impact projects, Water/Sanitation, Health, Blankets Countrywide $9,000,000 USAID/DCHA/FFP .................................................................................................$425,571,000 WFP Operations Countrywide $45,000,000 18 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.................................................................................................. $175,099,239 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $7,042,126 IOM Iraq Transition Initiative Countrywide $7,087,595 DAI Iraq Transition Initiative Countrywide $149,974,605 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 .............................................$4,045,542,992 * 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. 19