Administrator’s Weekly Report — Mosul — 29 تشرين الثاني 2003 Arabic

Administrator’s Weekly Report Essential Services 23 - 29 November 2003 Electricity/Power Objective: Provide Electricity Services that Meet National Needs Average peak output for the reporting period was 3,577 MW (3,308 MW last week). The Ministry of Electricity continues their planned fall maintenance program with 18 units down for scheduled maintenance. Return of these units to service will increase production by approximately 1,300 MW over current levels. Maintenance is scheduled to end in time for winter’s cooler months when demand for electricity increases. Seasonal rain caused problems with twenty-six 132 kV lines on 29 November when dust on insulators became wet allowing arcing between lines. This is a common problem in Iraq. On 25 November the Baiji to Mosul 400 kV line was sabotaged with three towers downed. This incident should not have a significant impact on consumers because there is also a 132 kV line between the two cities and most power produced in that region is consumed locally. The US Army Corps of Engineers Task Force Restore Iraqi Electricity (TF RIE) is implementing 14 generation projects, nine transmission projects and three management and control projects, which will add 1,277 MW to the grid when completed. TF RIE continues repairs to over 1,000 km of 400 kV lines and more than 270 damaged towers. Bechtel is working to develop 440MW of new generation, repair several existing generation plants, and reconstruct more than 200 km of high-voltage transmission lines. Source (CPA Advisor to Ministry of Electricity) Transportation Objective: Restore Economically-Strategic Transportation Infrastructure The Iraqi Governing Council has formed a Governing Council Hajj policy oversight committee to oversee preparations for the Hajj in January-February, including efforts to fly Iraqis to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj. An Iraqi delegation will travel to Saudi Arabia to determine the how many Iraqis can attend the Hajj this year and to agree on modalities. The port of Umm Qasr continues to carry out normal operations, but several vessels with Oil for Food (OFF) cargos have experienced off-loading delays. The CPA OFF Coordination Center is working with the relevant ministries to coordinate the movement of goods. Service interruptions during the celebration of Eid coupled with minor derailments have caused a backup of rail traffic, particularly south of Baghdad. CPA railroad advisors held a meeting with Iraqi Rail Road Director General Salam Jaber Sallon and other senior managers to discuss the unsatisfactory service levels and options for making improvements. Bechtel has established an facility in Shalichiya to provide Iraqi subcontractors with the necessary equipment to rehabilitate and maintain a 60 km stretch of train track in southern Iraq. The rehabilitation of this section of rail is expected to be completed by mid 2004. An U.S. military investigation into the 22 November attack on a DHL aircraft near Baghdad International Airport is ongoing and the official report is pending. As a result of the attack, DHL and Royal Jordanian Air are having difficulty securing insurance for flights into Iraq. The CPA is working to address the concerns of the insurance industry to keep rates at a reasonable level. Public Works Objective: Improve Water and Sanitation Services After final inspections were completed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, potable water supply was restored to 40,000 residents of Safwan on 22 November. USAID and the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works reached an agreement on additional projects to be funded through the Bechtel contract. Proposed water and sanitation projects include water treatment plants in Kirkuk and Mosul, a sewer pipe restoration program in Basrah, and a water pipe restoration program in Baghdad. The Ministry continues to work with local contractors to develop management skills for public works projects. Areas of assistance include the delivery of materials, travel planning, and security awareness. Health Objective: Improve Quality and Access to Health Care Thirty Iraqi physicians completed a one-week course in specialized emergency room and trauma care. The course was the second in the emergency medical field to be sponsored by the Ministry of Health (MOH). Planning continues for Dr Abbas’ visit to Washington D.C. in mid-December. The tentative itinerary includes visits to the White House, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Health and Human Services, USAID, and State Department. Additionally, Dr Abbas will visit the Congressional leadership and the Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University Medical Centers. Education Objective: Improve Quality and Access to Primary and Secondary Education The Ministry of Education is implementing a program to bring out-of-school children back into the traditional education system. The pilot program is named ‘Accelerated Learning’ and is being introduced in five Governorates: Baghdad, Ad Diwaniyah, Karbala, An Nasiriyah and Erbil. USAID assisted with the project’s development and implementation. Minister Alwan continues consultations and public forums on curriculum reform in Iraq. This is a sensitive and ongoing process will likely take more than a year to complete. The interim curriculum is largely the same as that used before the war, but the constant references to Saddam have been removed. Higher Education Objective: Improve Quality and Access to Higher Education On 30 November a committee of American and Iraqi academics completed the nomination process for the Fulbright Scholar program. Nearly 400 Iraqis from around the country competed for 25 scholarships. Those selected will study public health, law, accounting, public administration, environmental science, journalism, and English. The CPA will deliver 5,000 desks to Basra University and 2,000 desks to Basra Technical Institute in the coming weeks. PAGE 1 Damaged left wing of DHL aircraft