USAID Iraq: Fact sheet no. 64, 11 September 2003

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Iraq – Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet #64, Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 September 11, 2003 Current Situation (updated once a week) Sector Updates Electricity • On September 8, power generation reached 3,550 megawatts (MW) or approximately 81 percent of the pre-war level of 4,400 MW. Food Public Distribution System (PDS) • U.N. World Food Program (WFP) distribution and monitoring of the September PDS ration has started. In the three northern governorates of Arbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah, preparations continue for the PDS handover to Kurdish authorities. Pipeline • Total dispatches into Iraq since the beginning of the operation have exceeded 1.8 million metric tons (MT) of food. WFP logistics operations continue to bring food into the country mainly through Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, and increasingly from the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr. U.S. Government Response • USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) is supporting U.N. and non-governmental organizations (NGO) emergency assistance activities through quick-impact projects and internally displaced persons (IDP) support. USAID/OFDA supports projects in the sectors of 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 the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) for distribution to Iraqis in need of food. WFP also received a cash contribution from USAID/FFP for the purchase of commodities in the region. • 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), 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). • USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) is supporting the implementation of the Iraq Transition Initiative (ITI). The ITI program supports the process of community recovery and stabilization 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 USAID/OTI implementing partners Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) and IOM. • In addition to emergency relief assistance, USAID’s Asia and Near East Bureau (USAID/ANE) has provided timely assistance for reconstruction requirements in Iraq in a broad range of sectors. USAID is helping to rehabilitate 1,000 schools in time for the start of the new school year, distribute text books, and distribute school and student kits. USAID/ANE is also helping to organize neighborhood advisory councils and community associations that help prioritize and deliver essential services to communities, provide basic healthcare to all Iraqis, and organize immunization campaigns. In addition, USAID/ANE is helping to rehabilitate power plants, water and sanitation facilities, bridges, railroads, the Umm Qasr seaport, and the airports in Baghdad and Al Basrah, as well as initiating an economic governance program that will help Iraq move to a free market society. Emergency Relief, Transition, and Reconstruction Initiatives (updated once a week) Abuse Prevention Unit (APU) • USAID/OTI’s APU and the Karbala’ Human Rights Watch Association (KHRWA) discovered multiple undisturbed mass graves 80 km west of Karbala’. The discovery was videotaped, and an investigation will be conducted by KHRWA into the circumstances surrounding the graves. In the meantime, the grave sites are being secured with support from USAID/OTI. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – September 11, 2003 Community Action • USAID partner Mercy Corps is working with neighborhood leaders in Al Kut, Wasit Governorate, to clean up Al Kut and raise awareness of environmental issues in the city. Mercy Corps is working on 63 projects in the eastern Iraqi governorates of Wasit, Maysan, and Al Qadisiyah. • USAID partner International Relief and Development (IRD) is providing all 87 of Baghdad’s Neighborhood Action Committees with basic office supplies, enabling the councils to represent their neighborhoods to the district councils and to engage in reconstruction projects. • Four community action groups are working with IRD in the Al-Sadr neighborhood in Baghdad, also known as Sadr City, to mobilize district and neighborhood advisory councils to identify community needs. Projects in Al- Sadr include a district-level sewage project benefiting approximately 200,000 residents; a new sewage pumping station benefiting approximately 500,000 people; equipping the Al Thawra Hospital with beds, mattresses, privacy curtains, and office equipment for hospital’s administration staff; and equipping the Fourteenth of July Health Clinic with fans, air-conditioning units, and furniture. Education • USAID continues to implement an accelerated schools rehabilitation program in Iraq, with 43 schools already completed in Baghdad. In northern Iraq, 147 reconstruction projects are currently underway, and in south- central Iraq, 190 schools are currently underway. In southern Iraq, 245 schools are under construction with 57 schools already completed in Al Basrah. • USAID/OTI partner DAI is supporting the Iraqi NGO Operation Hope with the rehabilitation of three schools in Baghdad. • On September 9, DAI commenced rehabilitation work on the Al-Fituwa and Usama bin Al-Zaid primary schools for boys in Kirkuk, At’ Tamim Governorate. The project will benefit over 800 students. Food • USAID/FFP has provided cash, P.L. 480 Title II emergency food commodities, and Emerson Trust commodities to WFP for the mobilization and support of Iraq's PDS, and for the implementation of a safety net for newly displaced and other Iraqis falling outside the distribution system. Health • USAID/OFDA partner International Medical Corps (IMC) refurbished four clinics in the Al-Salam, Al-Hajaj, Al-Dhubat, and Al-Arafa neighborhoods of Kirkuk. The clinics receive 400 patients a day. With IMC support, the Arbil Department of Health will train laboratory staff in the clinics. • In Karbala’, USAID/OFDA partner the International Rescue Committee (IRC) assisted in the rehabilitation of eight health clinics, including two in Abu-Ruwaia and Im-Rwaial that will benefit 7,500 people. In An Najaf, IRC completed four clinics and supplied them with medical equipment and furniture. • DAI is working with the Ministry of Health to install a generator in the oxygen plant in Al Hillah, Babil Governorate. Regular electrical power will increase oxygen production by 100 percent, supplying medical grade oxygen to eight hospitals and 70 clinics in Al Hillah and three surrounding governorates. Infrastructure • USAID partner Bechtel’s building rehabilitation programs are a major source of employment for Iraqi contractors and individuals. Bechtel has hired 69 Iraqi subcontractors, employing over 27,000 people. Subcontracts to Iraqi firms total $47.4 million and comprise 44.4 percent of the value of total subcontracts (up from 37.8 percent last week). Airports • Bechtel is working to repair the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system at Al Basrah International Airport. Bridges • The Ministry of Housing and Construction, Coalition forces, and USAID are planning a temporary, single-lane bridge 7 km downstream from the damaged Tikrit Bridge, over the Tigris River, on the main highway between Baghdad and Kirkuk. The temporary bridge bypass will reroute traffic and improve security during the bridge’s reconstruction. Bechtel has hired an Iraqi contractor, the “77 Construction Company,” for the reconstruction of the Tikrit Bridge, with a target completion date of December 2004. Electricity • Ongoing repairs at the Baiji and Najrebiah power plants are expected to add another 140 MW of electricity by September 15, 2003. Port of Umm Qasr • Wreck removal operations at the Port of Umm Qasr achieved two successes last week. United Nations Development Program (UNDP) contractor Tuzla Shipyard raised the last three large pieces of a sunken Korean dredger, and Bechtel subcontractor Titan raised the last major piece of the barge Al Muhallaab. • Bechtel continues refurbishment of the exterior and interior of the Umm Qasr Customs House building and repairs to the plumbing, electrical, and telephone systems at the Umm Qasr Passenger Terminal building. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – September 11, 2003 Telecommunications • Under USAID’s Telecom Subscriber Service project, site preparation is progressing at all 12 Baghdad telephone switch locations, and the project is expected to be completed by January 2004. Bechtel has finished the removal of destroyed exchange buildings at two sites, and network cable activities are completed or in progress at eight sites. Once concluded, the project will restore telephone service to pre-war levels to 240,000 Baghdad residents. Internally Displaced Persons • USAID/OFDA partner IRC is implementing IDP support programs with environmental, health, and water assistance in Dahuk and Arbil Governorates benefiting approximately 81,000 people. • USAID/OFDA partner Save the Children/US (SCF/US) completed the registration and assessment of IDPs in An Najaf and Al Basrah Governorates. During the project, SCF/US identified 2,157 IDPs in An Najaf and 5,300 IDPs in Al Basrah. • USAID/OFDA partner IMC is providing non-food items (NFIs) to IDPs in Diyala’ Governorate, in addition to providing NFIs to 2,000 IDPs in Amarah, in Maysan Governorate, in collaboration with IMC partner Okenden International. Local Governance • With assistance from USAID partner Research Triangle Institute (RTI), the Al Basrah Municipal Directorate is restoring offices to functional condition by purchasing furniture, air conditioning units, and office equipment. • On September 4, the RTI-supported Organization for Civil Society held a conference titled “Towards Civil Society in Kirkuk.” • RTI and the An Najaf Department of Sewerage are cleaning and repairing city sewer mains and manholes in Al- Ansar and Al-Jamia neighborhoods, benefiting 8,000 people. • Also in An Najaf, RTI and the Directorate of Water Supply are working to rehabilitate the Al-Huria Water treatment plant that will benefit 12,000 people. • With support from DAI, Al Hay Town Council in Wasit Governorate is rehabilitating the Town Council building in order to provide a better working environment for the town council. Transition Initiatives • As of September 7, DAI had awarded 36 grants of furniture and equipment to ministries and municipalities in Baghdad to enable them to return to service, including the Ministry of Housing and Construction, the State Company for Manufacturing of Power Equipment, and the Commission of Electricity. • DAI is working with the chief of the court of the Karbala’ Courthouse to restore the courthouse and enable court staff to resume basic oversight, coordination, and directive functions in support of Iraq's legal and judicial system. Water and Sanitation • Repairs to southern Iraq’s Safwan Water Pumping Station are 90 percent completed, including repair to an underground storage reservoir, rehabilitation of the pump house, and installation of mechanical equipment. The station supplies drinking water to 40,000 Safwan residents. • With assistance from RTI, Mosul’s neighborhood councils will clean, maintain, and repair 10 high-priority wastewater networks and pumping stations. Repair of the networks and pumping stations will significantly reduce the raw sewage that floods Mosul streets during the rainy season. When the project is complete, 99 percent of Mosul’s wastewater network will be free of debris, and pumping stations will operate at full capacity. • IRC cleared 2,785 meters of sewage line and transported 973 MT of garbage from four sectors in the city of Kirkuk during the first week of September. Background on USG Response in Iraq • Since 1991, the Iraqi population has subsisted on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. Between 1991 and 1996, the USG provided nearly $794 million in humanitarian assistance to IDPs in northern Iraq. • In 1996, the Government of Iraq accepted the Oil-for-Food Program (OFFP), after which humanitarian conditions improved. Revenues from the OFFP provided food, medicine, and other civilian goods to assist vulnerable Iraqis through the PDS. However, widespread corruption by Iraqi officials limited the effectiveness of the OFFP 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 major combat operations in Iraq had ended. • Looting and sabotage of infrastructure as well as security issues during and after the recent conflict has created additional challenges for reconstruction efforts aimed at restoring the country’s essential services. • In March 2003, the USG deployed a multi-agency Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to the region to assess and respond to humanitarian needs and to help coordinate the emergency relief effort. In addition, the USAID Asia and Near East Bureau sent a number of technical staff to prepare for immediate reconstruction Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – September 11, 2003 requirements. USAID established offices in Arbil, Baghdad, Al Hillah, and Al Basrah, and located staff members in Kuwait, Doha, Amman, and Cyprus. USAID personnel deployed to Baghdad, Al Basrah, Al Hillah, and Arbil have worked closely with U.N. agencies, NGOs, and in coordination with U.S. Military Civil Affairs personnel. On July 27, at the USAID office in Baghdad, USAID Mission Director Lewis Lucke officially announced the formation of USAID's Mission to Iraq. On August 1, the DART in Iraq officially ended, and the USAID Mission in Baghdad now coordinates all USAID programs. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – September 11, 2003 Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003 EMERGENCY RELIEF USAID/OFDA ........................................................................................................................................... $74,924,316 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $5,064,167 AirServ Logistics Countrywide $2,151,585 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 $1,283,772 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 $10,966,351 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 $8,000,000 Health Al Basrah, Maysan, Wasit, Kirkuk, At’ Tamin Health, Water/Sanitation An Nasiriyah IRC Quick-impact projects: Health, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $4,998,685 Water/Sanitation Kirkuk, Karbala’, Najaf Mercy Corps Quick-impact projects: Health, Non- Food Items, Shelter, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $5,000,000 Water/Sanitation Kirkuk Water/Sanitation Diyala’, Al Kut, Khanaqin Water/Sanitation Wasit Water/Sanitation Al Basrah SCF/US Quick-impact projects: Food Security, Health, Shelter, Nutrition, Non-Food Items, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $6,000,000 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 $4,994,959 Water/Sanitation Al Anbar Hospital Rehabilitation Al Anbar Water/Sanitation Mosul CARE Quick-impact projects Countrywide $8,000,000 Water System Rehabilitation Al Anbar Blankets, Hygiene Kits Baghdad Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – September 11, 2003 U.S. Government Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance to Iraq* USAID/FFP ..............................................................................................................................................$431,800,000 WFP Operations Countrywide $45,000,000 WFP Emerson Trust – 81,500 MT Countrywide $39,400,000 WFP P.L. 480 Title II emergency food commodities – 163,820 MT Countrywide $147,400,000 WFP Regional Purchase – 330,000 MT Countrywide $200,000,000 STATE/PRM ..............................................................................................................................................$38,935,691 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 $3,630,000 International Catholic Migration Commission Humanitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees Lebanon and Jordan $1,305,691 RECONSTRUCTION USAID/ANE .........................................................................................................................................$1,020,564,000 Abt Associates Health Countrywide $20,995,000 AFCAP Logistics Countrywide $91,500,000 Army Corps of Engineers Architecture and Engineering services Countrywide $10,000,000 BearingPoint Economic Governance Countrywide $9,000,000 Bechtel Airports, buildings, emergency communications, power, railroads, roads and bridges, Umm Qasr seaport, water and sanitation Countrywide $680,000,000 Community Action Program Development in impoverished communities Countrywide $35,000,000 IRG Reconstruction Support Countrywide $18,286,000 RTI Local Governance Countrywide $44,611,000 CAII Education Countrywide $37,853,000 UNICEF Health, Water, and Sanitation Countrywide $28,000,000 UNICEF Education Countrywide $7,000,000 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 $4,819,000 SkyLink Airport Management Baghdad Al Basrah Mosul $8,000,000 MSI Monitoring and Evaluation Countrywide $5,500,000 USAID/OTI ................................................................................................................................................$50,651,794 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $1,066,831 IOM Iraq Transition Initiative Countrywide $10,587,595 DAI Iraq Transition Initiative Countrywide $35,523,857 Internews Media Countrywide $160,359 Radio SAWA Media Countrywide $400,000 Spa War Inter-Ministry Communications Countrywide $2,913,152 TOTAL USAID ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003 ....................................................................$1,577,940,110 TOTAL STATE ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003.........................................................................$38,935,691 Total STATE/USAID Assistance to Iraq in FY 2003.........................................................................$1,616,875,801 *Figures in funding sheet are subject to change and do not represent a final official accounting of USG obligations.