USAID Iraq: Fact sheet no. 29, 8 May 2003

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Iraq – Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet #29, Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 May 8, 2003 Background • Since 1991, the Iraqi population has subsisted on the brink of a humanitarian disaster due to the lingering effects of war, sanctions, and drought. Between 1991 and 1996, the U.S. Government provided nearly $794 million in humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Iraq. • In 1996, the Government of Iraq (GOI) accepted the United Nations (U.N.) Oil-for-Food Program (OFF), after which humanitarian conditions improved. Revenues from the OFF program provided food, medicine, and other civilian goods to assist vulnerable Iraqis through the Public Distribution System (PDS). However, widespread corruption by Iraqi officials limited the effectiveness of the OFF program. • On March 20, 2003, Coalition forces began military operations in Iraq. On May 1, 2003, 42 days after the conflict began, U.S. President George W. Bush announced that combat operations in Iraq have ended. Although the recent conflict did not result in the large-scale humanitarian crisis and widespread displacement many had envisioned, the conflict and subsequent disorder has ex acerbated the Iraqi population's vulnerable circumstances. • In March 2003, the United States Government (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 Iraq, the DART has established offices in Al Basrah, Arbil, and Baghdad. In addition, DART members are located in Kuwait, Jordan, Cyprus, and Qatar and are working closely with U.N. agencies, Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and in coordination with U.S. Military Civil Affairs (CA) personnel. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE SOURCE Internally Displaced in Iraq • 87 in Arbil • 1,817 in Dahuk • 1,089 at Jordanian border (No Man’s Land) UNOHCI (April 29, 2003) UNOHCI (April 29, 2003) IOM (May 2, 2003) Refugees from Iraq • 717 – Jordan Old caseload refugees: • 204,000 – Iran • 17,000 – Saudi Arabia (Urban) • 5,200 – Saudi Arabia (Rafha) • 250,000-300,000 – Jordan • 60,000 – 70,000 – Syria IOM (April 30, 2003) UNHCR (April 2003) Current Situation by Region Baghdad • On May 7, the DART/Abuse Prevention Unit (APU) visited Baghdad's largest slum, Sadr City (formerly Saddam City), where 1.8 million Shi'a reside. Despite the lack of a police force, the area has a low crime rate due to the Shi'a clerics' influence. Because of the homogeneity of the area, there are no reports of reprisals or revenge attacks. Sanitation conditions in Sadr City are deteriorating as large amounts of trash, standing pools of sewage, and general war debris litter the streets. Northern Iraq • In Kirkuk, fuel shortages and property disputes are reportedly the principal concerns. There is a new Kirkuk leadership council, composed of six representatives each from the Kurds, Arabs, Turkomen, and Assyrians. Civil Affairs personnel in Kirkuk are currently holding town hall meetings for the four ethnic groups in the city. U.S. Coalition forces are also training local police in Kirkuk. Current Situation by Sector Access • On May 8, Civil Affairs added the city of Mosul to the list of permissive areas. As of May 8, half of Iraq’s 18 governorates, as well as some selected cities outside of these governorates, have been declared permissive by Civil Affairs. Baghdad has yet to be declared permissive. Food • DART food officers report that World Food Program (WFP) staff are working closely with the Ministry of Trade (MOT) and local authorities to verify what food stocks remain in Iraq, including commodity types and Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – May 8, 2003 tonnages, as the food supply in the country varies by governorate. However, the lack of pulses, rice, and milk in remaining stocks is prevalent throughout Iraq as previous distributions were missing these commodities. • On May 7, WFP reported that total food dispatches since April 3 surpassed 100,000 metric tons (MT) mark. Of the dispatched cargo to date, 62 percent of the total tonnage has transited through Turkey (62,575 MT) with the remaining tonnage being dispatched through Syria, Jordan, Kuwait and Iran. Fuel • In response to the severe liquid propane gas (LPG) and gasoline shortages facing Iraq, the DART is supporting the NGO Save the Children/US for the distribution of cooking gas in southern Iraq through the Public Distribution System (PDS). U.S. Coalition-organized convoys are currently transporting LPG and gasoline to Baghdad and Mosul. The convoys, totaling 57 trucks carrying more than 440,000 kg of LPG and 38 gasoline tanker trucks, are due to arrive over the next few days. Health • The DART is currently evaluating reports of a cholera outbreak in Al Basrah and indicated that slightly higher than the normal levels have been reported. DART reports that cholera is not uncommon in Al Basrah and the increase in reported cases is not considered an emergency at this time. The U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are also investigating the situation. Infrastructure • USAID’s private sector partner Bechtel began dredging the Port of Umm Qasr on May 8. • Engineers from Bechtel are working with USAID and Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) to make repairs to the grain silos and processing facilities at Umm Qasr in anticipation of restoring them to a level of operation sufficient to receive and process grain from ships scheduled to arrive in the next few weeks. • The Coalition reported that passenger train service from Baghdad to Al Basrah restarted on May 7. Coalition forces are also working to restart passenger train service from Baghdad to Mosul, and Baghdad to Al Qa’im in Al Anbar governorate. Media • USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios was interviewed on May 7 for Radio Sawa/Iraqi TV. Administrator Natsios discussed democracy and governance and urged Iraqis to participate in the rebuilding of their country through dialogue and peaceful resolution of problems. A weekly radio program is planned. • U.S. Government Response (New information is underlined) Emergency Relief • USAID/OFDA is supporting U.N. and NGO emergency assistance activities through quick-impact projects and IDP support. USAID/OFDA supports projects in the sectors of agriculture, food security, health, logistics, nutrition, shelter, and water/sanitation. • USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) is providing emergency food commodities through the Emerson Trust and P.L. 480 Title II emergency food assistance to WFP for distribution to food insecure Iraqis. WFP also received a cash contribution from USAID/FFP for the purchase of commodities in the region. • USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) is supporting the implementation of the Iraq Transition Initiative (ITI). The ITI program supports the process of political stabilization and community recovery in post- conflict Iraq by providing small grants designed to build confidence among Iraq's diverse ethnic groups, increase citizen participation in decision-making, and rapidly respond to community needs, while establishing and building trust for long term reconstruction efforts. The ITI program is implemented through Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). • The Department of State’s Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (State/PRM) contributed assistance for the pre-positioning and emergency response activities of UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Reconstruction • In addition to the emergency relief assistance provided through the DART by USAID and the Department of State, USAID’s Asia and Near East Bureau (USAID/ANE) has provided assistance for reconstruction activities in Iraq in a broad range of sectors. USAID supports reconstruction projects in education, governance, health, infrastructure, and logistics. • USAID has deployed staff to the region to begin reconstruction efforts. USAID staff are located in Kuwait City and Baghdad. Teams from USAID are assisting government ministries in becoming operational and public services to get restarted in Baghdad. Private sector partners have mobilized to carry out the first phase of their activities. Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – May 8, 2003 Other Donor and International Organization Assistance* US $ DONOR (MILLIONS) DATE (2003) ASSISTANCE SNAPSHOT Australia $62.5 April 29 U.N. agencies, ICRC, and NGOs Austria $1.1 April 1 UNICEF Bangladesh $2 April 4 Food Assi stance Belgium $4.4 April 29 ICRC, UNICEF Canada $74.6 March 26 WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA, ICRC, NGOs China March 27 Tents Croatia $2.8 May 2 Blankets, sleeping bags, flour, sugar, water purification disinfectants European $117.7 April 22 U.N. agencies, IOs, and NGOs Commission Finland $5.13 March 25 ICRC, UN OCHA, WFP France $10.7 UNICEF, WFP, NGOs Germany $50 May 5 UNHCR, WFP, ICRC Greece $4.6 May 5 UNHCR, ICRC, NGOs Iceland $3.75 April 8 ICRC, NGOs, UNCHR, WFP India $20 April 4 WFP and U.N. Consolidated Appeal Ireland $5.1 March 31 U.N. agencies and NGOs for humanitarian assistance Japan $212 May 1 U.N. Agencies, NGOs, Bilateral Assistance Korea $10 April 3 U.N. agencies and Korean NGOs Kuwait $10 March 14 UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, ICRC Netherlands $20.5 April 2 U.N. Consolidated Appeal and ICRC New Zealand $2.3 April 22 U.N. agencies including WFP, IOs, and NGOs Spain $56.7 April 22 U.N. agencies, bilateral refugee assistance, and NGOs Sweden $38 April 11 OCHA, UNICEF, ICRC, IFRC Switzerland $21.9 April 16 ICRC, UNCHR, IOM, IFRC, OCHA Taiwan $4.3 March 27 Refugee assistance – food, medicine, nonfood items United Kingdom $382 April 29 U.N. agencies including WFP, IOs, and NGOs – food, health kits, water units, winter supply kits, primary health, IDP assistance OTHER DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO DATE** ..................................................................................................... $1,122 MILLION *This compilation was drawn from the Department of State tracking of donor government pledged or committed funding. The list may not be comprehensive. ** This total is approximate as the value of donated commodities is not available in some cases. Public Donation Information • The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash donations to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. A list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting cash donations for their activities in the Gulf can be found in the “How Can I Help” section at [www.usaid.gov/iraq]. • USAID encourages cash donations because they: allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as staff time, warehouse space, etc); can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region; ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance. • General information on making donations and volunteering can be found at: o USAID: www.usaid.gov/iraq -> “How Can I Help?” o The Center for International Disaster Information: www.cidi.org or 703-276-1914 o InterAction: www.interaction.org -> “Guide to Appropriate Giving” o Information on relief activities of the humanitarian community can be found at www.reliefweb.org. *Fact Sheets can be obtained from the USAID web site at http://www.usaid.gov/iraq Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – May 8, 2003 U.S. GOVERNMENT HUMANITARIAN AND RECONST RUCTION ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003 EMERGENCY RELIEF USAID/OFDA ............................................................................................................................................................$51,232,905 Administrative Administrative Costs Country-wide $3,406,209 AirServ Logistics Country-wide $2,151,585 The Cuny Center Research studies Country-wide $40,260 International Dispensary Association Health Country-wide $711,850 InterAction Coordination Kuwait City $92,860 IOM IDP programs Country-wide $5,000,000 IMC Capacity building Country-wide $202,900 Logistics Commodities and DART support Country-wide $8,044,110 SCF/US NGO Consortium Country-wide $883,131 UNICEF Health, nutrition, water/sanitation Country-wide $2,000,000 UNICEF Water/sanitation Country-wide $2,000,000 UN OCHA Coordination and Information Country-wide $200,000 UN OCHA Coordination and Information Country-wide $1,000,000 WFP Logistics and pre-positioning of food Country-wide $5,000,000 Cooperative Agreements IMC Quick-impact projects: Food Security, Health, Nutrition, Water/Sanitation Country-wide $4,000,000 Health Al Basrah, Maysan, and Wasit Health, Water/Sanitation An Nasiriyah IRC Quick-impact projects: Health, Water/Sanitation Country-wide $3,000,000 Mercy Corps Quick-impact projects: Health, Non- Food Items, Shelter, Water/Sanitation Country-wide $3,000,000 Water/Sanitation Kirkuk SCF/US Quick-impact projects: Food Security, Health, Shelter, Nutrition, Non-Food Items, Water/Sanitation Country-wide $4,000,000 Nutrition Mosul Health, Transportation Mosul World Vision Quick-impact projects: Health, Logistics, Non-Food Items Country-wide $2,500,000 CARE Quick-impact projects Country-wide $4,000,000 Water System Rehabilitation Al Anbar Blankets, Hygiene Kits Baghdad USAID/FFP ...............................................................................................................................................................$430,000,000 WFP Pre-positioning funding Country-wide $55,000,000 WFP Emerson Trust – 161,000 MT Country-wide $84,000,000 WFP P.L. 480 Title II emergency food commodities – 105,000 MT Country-wide $91,000,000 WFP Regional Purchase Country-wide $200,000,000 USAID/OTI ................................................................................................................................................................... $5,042,344 Administrative Administrative Costs Country-wide $708,732 IOM Iraq Transition Initiative Country-wide $1,700,000 DAI Iraq Transition Initiative Country-wide $2,473,253 Internews Media Country-wide $160,359 Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Fact Sheet – May 8, 2003 U.S. GOVERNMENT HUMANITARIAN AND RECONST RUCTION ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003 EMERGENCY RELIEF (cont.) STATE/PRM...............................................................................................................................................................$36,630,000 UNHCR Emergency assistance Country-wide $21,000,000 ICRC Emergency assistance Country-wide $10,000,000 IFRC Emergency assistance Country-wide $3,000,000 IOM TCN – transportation assistance Country-wide $2,630,000 RECONSTRUCTION USAID/ANE ...............................................................................................................................................................$95,700,000 ABT Health $10,000,000 AFCAP Logistics $8,000,000 Bechtel Capital Construction $34,600,000 IRG Reconstruction Support $9,800,000 RTI Local Governance $7,900,000 CAII Education Country-wide $1,000,000 UNICEF Health $8,000,000 UNICEF Education Country-wide $1,000,000 WHO Health $10,000,000 SSA Port Management $2,900,000 SkyLink Logistics $2,500,000 TOTAL USAID ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003................................................................................$581,975,249 TOTAL STATE ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003.................................................................................$36,630,000 TOTAL STATE/USAID ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003................................................................$618,605,249