USAID Iraq: Fact sheet no. 11, 14 April 2003

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Iraq – Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet #11, Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 April 14, 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 d istribution 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 • 187,719 in Arbil* • 48,665 in Dahuk* • 29,439 in As Sulaymaniyah* • 30,000 in Badrah UNOHCI (April 13, 2003) UNOHCI (April 13, 2003) UNOHCI (April 13, 2003) UNHCR (April 12, 2003) Refugees from Iraq Old caseload refugees: • 203,000 – Iran • 5,100 – Saudi Arabia • 250,000-300,000 – Jordan • 40,000 – Syria U.S. Committee for Refugees (2001) *Estimates from April 6 U.N Office for Project Services (UN OPS) survey of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in public buildings, with host families, and in open air. Baghdad and Baghdad Governorate • Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) reported on April 11 that the two members of their six-person international person team in Baghdad who had been missing since April 2 have been found. They remain in Baghdad where they will reunite with their four other MSF colleagues. The MSF representative in Kuwait City reported to the DART that MSF restarted its Baghdad operations on April 11, which had been suspended after the two members were discovered missing. • During the overnight hours of April 11-12, two Kuwait Air Force C-130s flew to Baghdad International Airport from Kuwait City to deliver 24 metric tons (MT) of medical supplies for hospitals and health clinics in the Baghdad area. The medical supplies have been secured in an airport hanger until needs assessments can be conducted at local medical centers and security conditions in Baghdad improve. The U.S. military’s 1st Medical Corps will assume responsibility for the distribution of the medical supplies. • According to an April 12 report from the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), the Medical City hospital complex and Al Kindi hospital in Baghdad have been looted, leaving completely disorganized triage and emergency room care. At Medical City, ICRC staff observed only a few surgeons and nurses for more than 300 patients. ICRC reports that increased security in Baghdad hospitals is most important need at this time. • According to ICRC, looting throughout the city has negatively impacted the city’s water supply system. In the ICRC report, the Baghdad Water Authorities (BWA) reported the total loss of all their warehouse materials, including spare parts for maintaining the water supply system. According to ICRC, water treatment plants are operational at only 40 to 50 percent of their capacity, but due to low industrial demand this may be enough to meet the basic needs of the population. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – April 11, 2003 Al Basrah Governorate • According to the U.N. Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (UNOHCI) and the ICRC, as of April 13, the overall security situation is improving. The power and water supplies to the city are partly operational, but intensive looting has seriously affected water provision to the hospitals. Northern Iraq • On April 12, the U.N. Office for Project Services (UNOPS) reported the security situation in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah governorates is calm and stable, and the situation in Dahuk is greatly improved after Coalition and Kurdish forces took control of the city of Mosul. UNOPS reports hundreds of IDP families have begun returning to their homes in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah cities, and Kirkuk. The roads to Kirkuk are open and people were able to move between Kirkuk and Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. • UNOPS reports that the current looting and insecurity in Kirkuk and Mosul could hamper the m ovement of U.N. agencies and NGOs. Looting of vehicles and shooting incidents along the roads continue to be reported. U.N. security personnel continue to place restrictions on U.N. vehicles and personnel in the areas that were previously controlled by G OI. Current Humanitarian Situation by Sector Displaced Populations • On April 12, UNHCR reported there are an estimated 30,000 displaced persons in the area of Badrah along the border with Iran. However, Iranian authorities estimate that the total number of IDPs is 50,000 - 60,000 people. A joint U.N. agency team is scheduled to visit the Badrah area on April 14 to conduct an assessment and distribute some relief supplies. UNHCR/Iran reports that most of the IDPs have no plans to cross the border. Medecins du Monde (MDM/Canada) reported on April 11 that the IDPs seemed in reasonable condition but need medical supplies and water. Food • WFP reports that, as of April 12, nearly two-thirds of the 6,000 MT of wheat flour sent from Turkey into northern Iraq since the opening of the corridor on April 5 has now reached their destinations in northern Iraq. • Along with WFP, DART members met with Public Distribution System (PDS) food agents in Umm Qasr on April 13. DART indicated that the PDS system in Umm Qasr could be used to gather humanitarian information, as well as a model to meet with PDS groups in other locations in the country. U.S. Government Response Deployment • The United States Government deployed a DART to the region to assess humanitarian needs and coordinate the emergency relief effort. DART members are located in 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). • On April 13, the DART deployed a two-person team to Baghdad to assess the health and pharmaceutical situation in hospitals and health clinics throughout the city. Pre-Positioning • Prior to Coalition military activity in Iraq, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) provided funding to assist U.N. and NGO preparedness activities. In addition, USAID/OFDA has pre-positioned relief commodities in three warehouses in Jordan, Kuwait, and UAE. • USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) has supported WFP’s planning and preparation efforts to meet the emergency food needs of vulnerable populations in Iraq. • The State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (State/PRM) provided assistance to UNHCR and IOM to pre-position supplies for 600,000 potential Iraqi refugees and IDPs located at Iraq’s borders, to establish transit camps for TCNs fleeing Iraq, and to pre-position supplies for the transportation of refugees and other migrants. Emergency Relief • USAID/OFDA is supporting NGO emergency assistance activities with quick -impact projects and IDP support. • USAID/OFDA obligated more than $2.5 million for administrative and travel costs on April 10 that have been in progress for during the past few months. • USAID/FFP has provided emergency food commodities through the Emerson Trust to WFP to meet the food needs of vulnerable Iraqis. USAID/FFP has also provided P.L. 480 Title II emergency food assistance to be distributed to food insecure Iraqis and cash to WFP for the purchase commodities in the region. • USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) has supported IOM and Development Alternatives, Incorporated (DAI) to prepare for the implementation of the Iraq Transition Initiative (ITI), which supports political stabilization and community recovery activities in post-conflict Iraq. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – April 11, 2003 • State/PRM has contributed assistance for the pre-positioning and emergency response activities of UNHCR, ICRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and IOM. Reconstruction • To date, USAID’s Bureau for Asia and the Near East (USAID/ANE) has provided assistance for reconstruction activities in Iraq. USAID/ANE has supported the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and WHO for health, education, and water and sanitation needs, and Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) to assess and manage the Umm Qasr port. • In mid-March, USAID/ANE awarded a contract to International Resources Group (IRG) to provide planning, monitoring, coordination, management, and reporting on USAID’s reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in Iraq. IRG’s services include support in a variety of sectors, including education, health, agriculture, civil society strengthening, and infrastructure. Other Donor and International Organization Assistance* • On April 12, the Government of Australia announced the provision of three planeloads of medical supplies to Baghdad hospitals as part of a new military operation dubbed Operation Baghdad Assist. The supplies will be distributed to Baghdad hospitals with the assistance of Coalition medical personnel. Australia has so far earmarked $60 million in humanitarian aid for Iraq. • On April 4, the Government of India announced the commitment of $20 million in response to the U.N. emergency appeal for immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Iraq, which would include 50,000 MT of wheat to WFP. US $ DONOR (MILLIONS ) DATE (2003) ASSISTANCE SNAPSHOT Australia $60 April 12 100,000 MT of wheat and distribution costs, U.N. Agencies and ICRC, planning and preparation funding, reconstruction 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 European Commission $22.5 April 9 ICRC, UNICEF, CARE, Première Urgence, and OCHA for medical, water and sanitation, health, and coordination. France $10.7 Humanitarian Assistance Germany $11.77 April 8 UNHCR and ICRC India $20 April 4 WFP and U.N. Consolidated Appeal Ireland $0.8 March 20 U.N. Agencies for planning and preparation $15.9 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 $20.0 March 27 Refugee assis tance in Iran, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey Taiwan $4.3 March 27 Refugee assistance – food, medicine, NFIs 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** .............................................................................................$724.52 MILLION *This compilation was drawn from ReliefWeb and 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]. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – April 11, 2003 • 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 staff time, wa rehouse 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. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – April 11, 2003 U.S. GOVERNMENT HUMANITARIAN AND RECONST RUCTION ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003 EMERGENCY RELIEF USAID/OFDA ............................................................................................................................................................$43,742,995 Administrative CostsAdministrative $2,912,519 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 Commodity prepositioning and DART support $6,300,000 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 preposition of food Country-wide $5,000,000 USAID/FFP................................................................................................................................................................$430,000,000 WFP Prepositioning 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 ITI Country-wide $1,700,000 DAI ITI 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 ...............................................................................................................................................................$30,900,000 IRG Reconstruction Support $7,100,000 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................................................................................$506,976,607 TOTAL STATE ASSIS TANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003.................................................................................$36,630,000 TOTAL STATE/USAID ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003................................................................$543,606,607 *Factsheets can be obtained from the USAID web site at http://www.usaid.gov/iraq