United Nations Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq

NO: 3 United Nations Office of the 21- 27 April 2003 Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq

1. KEY DEVELOPMENTS attendance is lack of salary payments. Return of UN International Staff is Reestablishment of systems to pay basic Underway: Three Northern Governorates running costs, including for fuel, is also a (3NG): The UN 3NG team deployed to Erbil pressing need. In response, WHO is on 24 April with 40 staff. It will rapidly expand considering the provision of operational its presence to Dahuk and Sulamaniyeh. An funding to Baghdad hospitals, and would additional 30 staff will deploy on 29 April and establish an emergency operation committee more staff will return as the security situation in each hospital to manage the funds. permits. UNICEF is to facilitate salaries to water and Center (Mosul): The Mosul team will begin sanitation staff . deploying to Erbil on 29 April where it will prepare to move to Mosul when conditions The void created by the absence of senior permit. If security remains unsettled in Mosul, public administrators is a constraint to the team will temporarily locate in Kirkuk. operations. Often it is very difficult to identify Baghdad: The core elements of the UN interlocutors to discuss needs and deliveries. presence in Baghdad will move by road from A number of hospitals have been protected by Jordan to Baghdad in coming days. As religious groups, who have retrieved looted security and logistic conditions permit, supplies and vehicles, and provided relief international presence will be increased. supplies. Some groups are seeking a greater Lower South (Basrah): The Lower South team adherence to Islamic law in the hospitals. has made regular visits and assessments to Basrah since 23 April and will move The grain harvest in Iraq will start in the permanently to Basrah as soon as office coming week. This year, a crop of 1.7 spaces are identified and made ready for million MT of grain is expected, of which the occupancy. northern governorates will produce one-third. Upper South (Al Hillah): The Upper South While the crop looks good in the north, the team has deployed to Kuwait pending security situation in the center and south – where the clearance to move forward to Al Hillah to crop is dependent upon irrigation - is less establish a UN presence there. clear. Shortages of electricity and fuel will have affected capacity. There are also Key land routes appear to be more secure. concerns about grain loss as a result of poorly The presence of a coalition contingent on the maintained harvesting equipment, and post- road between Baghdad and Jordan at Ramadi harvest storage problems. has apparently improved security, however a hijacking incident during the night of 26 April On 24 April, Security Council extended the against an NGO vehicle is a reminder of Oil-for-Food programme until 3 June. The continued risk. Agencies traveling daily on programme 60% of Iraqis depend on the roads to key locations have not experienced programme for their basic sustenance. problems. A full report on the status of roads, bridges and security can be found in the 2. POPULATION current weekly bulletin prepared by the MOVEMENTS UNJLC (www.unjlc.org)

A critical need is to get the public sector – Internally Displaced People particularly essential services – up and The “new caseload” IDPs, displaced by the running again. Administrative staff continue current hostilities, have largely returned home: to stay away, or to work with no salary. While around 9,000 who have not are largely insecurity and lack of means to travel to work accommodated with communities. may be a factor, a growing obstacle to

UNOHCI, NO: 3, 21-27 April 2003

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TCN outflows surged since the end of fighting first thought, and that a number of hospitals in Iraq, apparently a result of threats made have reasonable drug stocks. There are, against Arab foreign workers who came to however, pressing needs in water and power Iraq during the period of Saddam Hussein’s supply, a repeated story across Iraq. As well, rule. This exodus is expected to continue until administrators, nurses and ancillary staff sufficient order is established in Iraq’s main continue to stay away. The lack of cleaning cities. services is leading to an appalling sanitary situation in many hospitals. UNICEF, ICRC Return plan and NGOs are currently conducting rubbish On 25 April, the UN refugee agency unveiled removal in a number of hospitals. Agencies a preliminary plan for the eventual return and have raised with the coalition its need to take reintegration of up to 500,000 Iraqi refugees. urgent action, according to its responsibilities At the same time, it will continue to be under the Geneva Convention, to re-establish prepared should new refugees decide to flee basic municipal services, particularly for insecurity in Iraq. Along with the rapid hospitals. changes now taking place in Iraq, UNHCR is shifting its primary focus from contingency WHO has confirmed that the MOH preparations for a possible refugee influx into warehouses in Baghdad have sufficient stocks neighbouring states to laying the groundwork of drugs and other main medical supplies for for the eventual return of hundreds of the coming few months. Vaccines appear to thousands of Iraqi refugees. UNHCR's be in short supply; however the Baghdad preliminary repatriation and reintegration plan cold-chain is intact and ready to receive new has been designed for up to 500,000 Iraqi shipments. refugees, out of an estimated 900,000 now in the immediate region and beyond. Several governments are providing field hospitals. In Baghdad, the US, Jordan and 3. HUMANITARIAN Saudi Arabia have deployed, or will shortly deploy hospitals and staff. An advance team SITUATION AND RESPONSE has now arrived in Basrah to establish the BY SECTOR Czech Government’s field hospital.

3.1 Health There is growing information about the state The past week has seen gestures of support of facilities elsewhere than Baghdad: Facilities from health administrators in the three in Basrah City are functional. The Ministry’s northern governorates towards health warehouse is well stocked except for drugs for services in other areas. With support from chronic diseases, which are in short supply. Three hospitals in Hilla (Babylon) are

UN agencies and NGOs, local health authorities have sent convoys of supplies and functioning but need oxygen urgently. personnel to Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk. Samawah General Hospital (Muthanna) is in good condition. The Safwan Public Health The survey of almost all hospitals in Baghdad Centre (Basrah) has immediate needs of by NGO Premiere Urgence complemented the water and electricity. Vaccination supplies are assessments already conducted by others also needed. In Najaf, Samawa, Diwaniya and has provided useful information about the and Nassriyah (Thi-Qar), the ICRC identified effect of the war on hospital facilities. Of the key needs such as wheelchairs, and basic 27 hospitals surveyed, 10 facilities were medical supplies: catheters, analgesics, directly or indirectly damaged during the anaesthetics and dressing material that were bombing campaign and 7 were completely already in short supply before the war. looted. 25 of the 27 hospitals remain open. Hospitals have food reserves or dry products WHO confirms that so far there are no for the next week to one month but none have disease outbreaks in Iraq. After some false the capacity to keep fresh food. Medical alarms, no cases of cholera have been supplies are adequate for the next two weeks. identified yet. However, most hospitals are Full report available on witnessing an increase of cases of www.agoodplacetostart.com. The findings communicable diseases that can be explained suggest the looting was not as extensive as by the poor general conditions of environment

UNOHCI, NO: 3, 21-27 April 2003 -shortage of water, lack of sanitation -as well in contact with Baghdad, Basrah, Kirkuk, as by better reporting and improved access to Mosul and Nassriyah and national colleagues health care now that security is improving. For have been in touch with staff in Missan and instance, UNICEF has registered a three-fold Qadissiya. increase in diarrhoea cases in Zubair (Basrah) in recent weeks, and continues to monitor the situation closely given the implications for malnutrition rates. Thanks to the distribution of Pentostam the increase of cases visceral leishmaniasis could be dealt with and there is no sign of an outbreak.

The investigation of two cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) in Al Thikir (East of Nassriyah) reported by Operation Mercy continues. Reportedly the two cases were already been identified and notified to MOH last February, before the start of hostilities. Food Distribution: Sulaymaniyah Iraq has been regarded as polio free since 2000. The first Rapid Needs Assessment took place Achievements in the Health sector at Nassriyah on 19 April. Small groups of

IDPs were either living with families or in • WHO, in coordination with local health authorities, NGOs, DART and coalition government buildings. They do not require forces established in the South of Iraq a food assistance. The SCR 986 food ration system for early detection, verification and had been distributed up to August 2003 but management of risk of disease outbreaks; food stocks are expected to last only up to the the system is now being expanded in first week of May 2003. This is because Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk and the 3NG excess food was sold in the market in order to • WHO activated the services of public buy other commodities. The Public health laboratories in Kuwait to support Distribution System (PDS) is understood to be epidemiological surveillance in the South of functioning with food agents and Ministry of Iraq Trade (MOT) are staff ready to come back to • Assessment and assistance were provided by WHO to repair the looted Central Public work as soon as required. Health Laboratory in Baghdad • UNICEF positioned/distributed supplies for An additional assessment mission visited leishmaniasis in southern Iraq. Basrah on April 26. All national staff were • UNDP has secured power generation present to meet the mission and had equipment for a hospital in Nassriyah contacted MOT officials with whom discussions were held. The MOT warehouses are generally in good condition and are 3.2 Child Protection currently under the protection of the Coalition Forces. While most written records are gone, Orphanages and other institutions for little repair work will need to be done in order vulnerable children are being assessed. In for the warehouses to be ready to receive the absence of administrators, information foodstocks. There are some physical stocks about children and needs, even in institutions and MOT will recall warehouse workers to where UNICEF has had a long involvement, is clean the stores and do a stocktake in the difficult to obtain. There is mounting concern coming days. over the whereabouts of children “missing” from Al Rahma Centre for Street Children. WFP visited Umm Qasr on April 24 and met with senior port management staff including 3.3 Food assistance the Iraqi team and the British Military Port Contact is being re-established with staff Administrators to discuss previous and future inside the Centre/South of Iraq – WFP is now port operational issues. The team toured the port to determine repair requirements. A

UNOHCI, NO: 3, 21-27 April 2003

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hospitals and the water-supply system and is Achievements in the Water sector likely to have a positive impact on security. In Mosul (Ninewa) the power supply is limited to • 28 UNICEF funded tankers continue to three hours per day, in Nassriyah (Thi-Qar) supply water to Umm Qasr, Zubair, Safwan and Basrah water treatment plants are running on • Water tankers hired by UNICEF continue generators for only 6 hours a day, in Basrah to deliver water to Saddam City and Abu electricity and gas supplies are irregular and Ghreib, In Baghdad. Also in Baghdad, the coalition reports that Al Qurnah (Thi-Qar) ICRC also continues water tankering to has no power. 40 public distribution sites. • Assessment of sewerage and solid waste management practices in the 4. FUEL south has been initiated • Trans-border tankering of water to Al The situation is improving inside Iraq. Oil Faw from Iran by UNICEF commenced terminals are resuming production under a this week, with delivery of 120,000 litres. combination of Iraqi labour and coalition This convoy was followed by another, efforts. Mosul and Kirkuk refineries are transporting to Al Fao4800 jerry cans operational. Staff are returning to work at and 96,000 litres of water Baghdad and Doura; local managers are • UNDP has secured power generation working with ORHA. There is significant equipment and a fuel pump for the water pumping/treatment station in Zubair, diesel in storage at Basrah. Diesel is which will secure potable water supply increasingly available from local contractors; for Zubair’s 400,000 residents. leaded petrol is scarce, while unleaded petrol is unavailable

There is still considerable variability in prices.

Fuel prices in Sulaymaniyah remain high. 3.5 Electricity There has been a 15% increase in the price of

kerosene (OID0.900/litre); 30% in butane gas Electricity shortages continue across the (OID55/bottle); 15% benzine (OID1.6/litre); country. Power cuts, already a fact of life for 20% diesel (OID0.35/litre) In Erbil, however, many years, have been exacerbated by fuel has dropped in price by 50% compared to damage from the war, and subsequent pre-conflict period due to a lifting in the quota looting. Electricity has now been partially of oil coming from Kirkuk and Mosul. . A restored in Baghdad. This eased residents’ fuller report on the fuel situation can be found living conditions, facilitated the work of in this week’s UNJLC bulletin (www.unjlc.org).

OFFICE OF THE HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR IRAQ CONTACTS

Veronique Taveau Press Spokeswoman Amman, Jordan Telephone: +962 796 968 937 Email: [email protected]

Caspar Fithen Donor Relations/Information Larnaca, Cyprus Telephone: +357 24650621 ext 166/169 Email: [email protected]

UNOHCI, NO: 3, 21-27 April 2003