Iraqis; Food Distribution OK; Infrastructure Improving Very Slowly; Reconstruction and Humanitarian Operations Slow;

September 2, 2004

Note: This report has been compiled from publicly available information. Although information has been gathered from reliable sources the currency and completeness of the information reported herein is subject to change and cannot be guaranteed. Inquiries, updates and comments are welcome and should be directed to PDMIN team at [email protected].

Note: New content has been inserted in red, italicized, bold font.

Overview

Humanitarian Situation: Continued concern about security, attacks on civilians, hostage taking, crime, and lethal exchanges between multinational force and Iraqis; Food distribution OK; Infrastructure improving very slowly; Reconstruction and humanitarian operations slow;

Political: Nepal under second day of curfew after violent demonstrations erupt in response to killing of 12 domestic workers in Iraq; French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier in neighboring Qatar working to get two French journalist hostages released; Bodies of Turkish truck driver hostages believed to have been found; In the Philippines, workers hoping that the Philippine government will relax ban, continue to sign up for relatively high paying jobs in Iraq;

UN: Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomes Najaf peace initiatives of Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali al- Sistani and calls on all parties to respect the Imam Ali Shrine—Annan reiterates UN offer to assist; The Secretary-General’s Special Representative (SRSG) Ashraf Qazi leaves Iraq after first two-week visit— travels to UN headquarters in New York—Deputy SRSG Ross Mountain remains in Iraq;

Refugees: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) discourages repatriation, but says that refugee returns continue despite insecurity; Most returning from Iran to south have been unassisted with minimal problems; UNHCR suspends planned convoys from Iran to northern Iraq due to lack of housing and to southern Iraq due to insecurity; Between 80,000 and 130,000 Iraqi refugees remain in Iran;

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates between 650,000 and 900,000 IDPs in Iraq—most IDPs do not stem from recent war and most are in the north; International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) working with several hundred families left homeless by Najaf fighting;

Civil Society/Rule of Law: Interim Iraqi legislature meeting in Baghdad for four days through Sunday (September 5)—swearing-in ceremony held during first two-hour session—legislature still needs to elect a president, two vice-presidents and a secretary, institute by-laws, and appoint seven standing committees; Internal trucking charges rise by about 50% as hostage-taking scares off foreign truckers; Car imports down; Insurgent attacks, bombings, kidnappings, and assassinations continue;

Civil–Military Interaction: Coalition air attacks on suspected militant safe houses in Fallujah continue; US military working with Iraqi border patrol to build three dozen forts, which will form bases of operations;

Humanitarian Access to Iraq: UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) reports international NGO staff slowly returning to Iraq; UN Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) reports that humanitarians in Iraq have generally well-established commercial means to bring in supplies; UNAMI also reports shortage of trucking and some improvement in highway security; An estimated 500 to 1,000 local NGOs established—many struggle with credibility and funding;

Economy/Oil: Northern pipeline from Iraq to Turkish port closed after attack; Roughly ninety percent of export oil flow restored in south—accounts for income of about US$50 million per day; Sufficient fuel imports from Turkey in north—shortages in Najaf in conjunction with fighting—Saudi Arabia

2 suspends shipments to south central region after attack on drivers; Oil income this year exceeds US$9 billion; Estimated US$15 billion needed to refurbish oil industry;

Water/power: 5,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity now being routinely generated—greater than pre-war 4,400 MW— generally 11 to 15 hours of electricity available each day—year-end goal now 6,000 MW— UNJLC estimates 6,500 MW to 7,000 MW could be generated next summer; Iraq needs at least US$12 billion to repair electricity sector and meet demand for 24-hour per day power; Numerous water treatment plants and pipeline projects underway throughout country—may take three years;

Food: UNJLC says 10,000 metric tons (MT) of food per day being imported through southern port of Umm Qasr alone; No reports of major food distribution problems; Plans being developed to phase out near-universal ration card over next several years, limiting distribution only to the poor; In March, World Food Program contract for 1.6 million MT;

Health and Medical: Health Minister Alaadin Alwan outlines four priorities—first in increasing availability of medications through control of theft, corruption, mismanagement, and, second, more funding—Alwan would like to double budget to US$ 1 billion. World Health Organization (WHO) procures over 80 MT of urgently needed drugs and supplies—nearly all now turned over to Ministry of Health.

Routes for Humanitarian Aid

Country Supply Routes Supply Routes Comments From: To: Iskenderun (port) Turkey Mersin (port) North Open for humanitarian supplies Silopi Bandar Imam Khomeni (Port) South Open for humanitarian supplies Iran Ahwaz Kermanshah Northeast Open for humanitarian supplies Shipping Open for humanitarian supplies; Iraq South, Central Umm Qasr (port) High charges limit use Open for humanitarian supplies; Kuwait Kuwait City (port) South, Central Also military use Aqaba (port) Jordan Central Open for humanitarian supplies Ar Ruwayshid Latakia (port) Central Abu Kamal

Syria Tartus (port) Beirut, Lebanon (port) Central Open for humanitarian supplies Al Tanf Al Yarubiyeh North Open for humanitarian supplies

3 In Country Humanitarian Assistance Information By Region

North Region

Erbil, Dahuk, Sulaymaniyah Coordination UN Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (UNOHCI) is aware of 36 NGOs in northern Iraq. Population Population of Erbil: 839,000 Population of Sulaymaniyah: 662,600 Population of Dahuk: 817,000 IDP Movement About 362 people, including 47 Syrian families, are staying at a refugee camp about 12 miles (20 km) north of Dahuk. The Syrians said they left their country due to deteriorating conditions after inter-ethnic violence and Kurdish rioting erupted in March 2004. UNHCR has registered the camp residents and is supplying non-food items. ―August-10-04 According to UNHCR, there are approximately 42,000 IDPs living in Dahuk Governorate, 5,000 of which are living under the care of UN agencies. Food No New Information Health The World Health Organization (WHO) is proceeding with the rehabilitation and renovation of the Nursing Education Center in Sulaymaniyah governorate and is continuing to provide technical assistance for a Ministry of Health initiative to upgrade rural health services. ⎯July-19-04 Non-Food Items – Swedish NGO Qandil is working with UNCHR to build accommodations in Shelter Sulaymaniyah for 250 Iranian Kurds who left deteriorating conditions in the Al-Tash Camp in al-Anbar Governorate. Increasing numbers of families moved north following recent clashes between US forces and militants in Fallujah. ⎯July-13-04 Water & Sanitation No New Information Security According to demining NGOs, there are more than 3,000 minefields remaining in the three northern governorates. The estimated 10 million mines and unexploded ordnance units in the north could take up to 15 years to clear. Nine demining organizations, four of which are local, are conducting demining operations. ⎯July-7-04 In order to strengthen security measures, Kurdish authorities have set up roadblocks at the entrances of Erbil city to replace checkpoints, which were dismantled in April. ⎯May-4-04 Other/Comments The NGO Kurdistan Organization for Mine Awareness (KOMA) is running the Spindari summer school in the village of Spindari, north of the city of Dahuk, to educate children on the risks of landmines. ⎯Aug-12-04

Al-Tamim, Ninewa, Salahaldin Coordination No New Information Note: This report has been compiled from publicly available information. Although information has been gathered from reliable sources the currency and completeness of the information reported herein is subject to change and cannot be guaranteed. Inquiries, updates and comments are welcome and should be directed to PDMIN team at [email protected].

4 Population Population of Mosul: 1.7 million Population of Kirkuk: 755,700 Population of Tikrit: 28,000 IDP Movement According to reports, about 30,000 IDPs are staying in 61 locations in and around Kirkuk. ⎯June-15-04 Food No New Information Health The World Health Organization (WHO) is continuing support to services in the main hospitals in Mosul and Kirkuk. WHO is also providing oxygen cylinders to 12 hospitals in Ninewa governorate. ⎯July-21-04 Non-Food Items No New Information –Shelter Water & USAID reports that a US-based NGO is working with USAID to begin water and Sanitation sanitation projects in three IDP locations and one returnee location in Ninewa governorate. The projects involve small-scale temporary storage for water that has been trucked in and necessary repairs to damaged wells or networks. ⎯July-29-04 Security Saboteurs attacked Iraq’s northern oil export pipeline to Turkey on Thursday (September 2). It is not yet clear how long it would take to repair the damaged pipeline.

The bodies of two slain Turkish citizens were discovered near the city of Samarra. A third body has not been identified. It has not been determined if the bodies are those of three Turkish hostages purportedly killed by the militant group Tawhid and Jihad. Other/Comments International Organization for Migration (IOM) partners will implement a Community Assistance Project in the city of Mosul to build 250 latrines for IDP communities. ―August-10-04

Central/West Regions

Al Anbar, Diyala, Karbala, Babil, Wasit, Najaf, Qadissiya Coordination No New Information Population Population of Al-Anbar: 1,230,169 Population of Diyala: 1,271,000 Population of Karbala (city): 572,300 Population of Babil: 1,385,783 Population of Wasit: 913,386 Population of Najaf: 929,995 Population of Qadissiya: 886,594 IDP Movement According to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), displaced people from the city of Najaf have begun to return to their homes. Many of their homes have been looted or damaged. UN partner NGOs are undertaking needs assessments in the city. —Sept-1-04 Food No New Information Health In addition to 3 tonnes of medical and surgical supplies provided earlier this month, Note: This report has been compiled from publicly available information. Although information has been gathered from reliable sources the currency and completeness of the information reported herein is subject to change and cannot be guaranteed. Inquiries, updates and comments are welcome and should be directed to PDMIN team at [email protected].

5 the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provided urgently needed medical supplies to hospitals in the city of Najaf following recent attacks. —Aug-31-04 Non-Food Items – No New Information Shelter UNICEF provided about 1.2 million liters (317,000 gallons) of water in and near the Water & Sanitation city of Najaf. Displaced families staying in the Rasheed al-Hujri Shrine and the Al- Shehabi schools also received water. —Sept-1-04 ICRC is providing 40,000 liters (10,570 gallons) of water per day to Najaf residents staying in the Hilla area. —Aug-20-04 USAID reports that a US-based NGO is partnering with USAID to provide clean water to a village of 300 IDPs in Qadissiya governorate. The NGO will also repair a nearby water treatment plant and provide training for its operators and technicians. —Aug-13-04 USAID is carrying out rehabilitation work at the Al Zarga plant in Najaf to benefit 563,000 residents of Najaf city. The work is slated to be completed by August 2004. —Aug-13-04 Security According to Iraqi hospital and US military sources, 18 Iraqis were killed and 6 others wounded in an overnight US precision air strike on suspected militant safe houses in the city of Fallujah on Thursday (September 2).

Due to security concerns, Iraqi police imposed a curfew from 9:00pm – 6:00am in Najaf city as of June 30. Other/Comments International Organization for Migration (IOM) implementing partners have launched two Community Assistance Projects in the city of Ramadi to rehabilitate a primary school and sports facilities at eight schools which serve IDP and host community children. ―August-10-04

Baghdad

Baghdad Coordination No New Information Population Population: 5.8 million IDP Movement British-based NGO Islamic Relief is continuing to assist more than 500 Syrian refugees in Baghdad and Al Anbar governorate. ―August-10-04 UNCHR estimates around 30,000 Palestinians live in Baghdad. UNHCR is assisting 450 Palestinian families with rental support and other relief items—35 Palestinian families are still living in tents at the Haifa Sports Club; About 700 families of Roma origin are reportedly living in a former Baghdad orphanage. Food No New Information Health UNICEF has provided about 1.4 million liters (370,000 gallons) of water to local residents and the Al-Jowader Hospital in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad. —Sept-1-04 Six hundred packs of Tuberculin diagnostic kits and 20 Hepatitis E diagnostic kits

6 have arrived in Amman for delivery to Baghdad. —August-31-04 USAID has procured and provided critically needed equipment and supplies, valued at about US$1 million, to the public health and disease control centers in Baghdad. —August-13-04 Non-Food Items – No New Information Shelter Water & Sanitation According to reports, Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has allocated US$115 million for projects in al-Sadr neighborhood in Baghdad to improve public services such as water, electricity, and sewage. —August-31-04

USAID reports that work to expand Baghdad’s Shark Diljah water treatment plant is continuing. The expansion will add 200 million liters (52.84 million gallons) per day to Baghdad’s water supply, benefiting 2.5 million residents. —Aug-13-04 Security Unidentified gunmen ambushed and killed an Associated Press driver in the Ghazaliya neighborhood of Baghdad on Thursday (September 2). Ghazaliya has been the site of frequent attacks on US convoys.

Unidentified gunmen attacked the armored car of the Czech ambassador to Iraq on Wednesday (September 1) in Baghdad. No one was injured in the attack. The ambassador, Martin Klepetko, was not in the vehicle at the time.

A curfew has been imposed on Baghdad’s Sadr City from 4 pm to 8 am until further notice. Other/Comments No New Information

South Region

Basrah Coordination No New Information

Population Population of Basrah: 1.5 million IDP Movement Based on the latest Ministry of Trade’s (MoT) Public Food Distribution statistics, the population of the city of Basrah is estimated to be around 3 million, an increase of around 1.2 million since April 2003, indicating a large-scale population movement toward an urban center. —June-28-04 Food No New Information Health No New Information

Non-Food Items – No New Information Shelter Water & Sanitation About 40% of the population in the city of Basrah is unable to access piped water. Limited electricity and failing infrastructure are exacerbating the situation. It is unlikely that the water supply will be restored to pre-war levels before the end of the

7 year. The UN Water and Sanitation Cluster is providing up to 800,000 liters (211,400 gallons) per day to vulnerable groups and residents of rural areas in Basrah. The Water and Sanitation Cluster is also taking preventative measures to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases in the South, including increasing the chlorine dose in the municipal water supply and distributing chlorine tablets to households. —July-30-04 Security No New Information Other/Comments According to reports, electricity in Basrah city and its surrounding area is available 6- 8 hours per day, with longer blackouts expected in the summer as availability falling to as little as 3 hours per day. —June-17-04

Al Muthanna, Dhi Qar, Maysan, Coordination The United Nations Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (UNOHCI) is aware of 22 NGOs operating in southern Iraq. Population Population Dhi Qar: 1,454,200 IDP Movement No New Information Food No New Information Health Czech Republic-based NGO People in Need (PIN) has undertaken a mosquito and rodent eradication project in Maysan governorate, under which 132 people have been trained to spray the areas around the capital city al-Amarah. —July-14-04 Non-Food Items – No New Information Shelter Water & Sanitation The UN Environment Program (UNEP) announced a US$11 million project, funded by the Government of Japan, which will support sustainable development, including drinking water, sanitation, and wetland restoration for the Marsh Arabs. The project will initially target about a dozen settlements with small-scale water treatment systems. —July-23-04 The Government of Japan has extended a grant of about US$3.68 million to the Water Department of al-Muthanna. The grant will provide 26 water tankers and 304 water tanks, which will allow purified water to be distributed to residents. —July-13-04 Security No New Information Other/Comments UNHCR partner organization, War Child, is continuing work to reinforce 3 dykes in the marshlands in an effort to prevent flooding that could displace up to 41,000 residents. —July-14-04

Neighboring Countries’ Humanitarian Activities/Preparations

8 Jordan

Several NGOs have evacuated their international staff members to Jordan due to on-going violence in Iraq. The French branch of the Red Cross announced in April that its activities in Iraq have been suspended and that it will provisionally close its office in Amman, Jordan.

The Government of Jordan stated that borders with Iraq are open for the flow of goods. The Humanitarian Action Coordination Center (HACC-West) has advised that it needs 24-hour advance notice of vehicle movement into Iraq from Jordan.

At the Al-Ruwayshid Refugee Camp, managed by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO), there are some 300 refugees. Most refugees are Palestinians who previously lived in Iraq, as well as some Sudanese and Somali refugees. About 100 Palestinians opted to return to Baghdad in late May 2004 despite the security environment in Iraq. Another estimated 1,200 refugees, most of them Iranian Kurds, remain in a nearby Al-Karama Refugee Camp, about 38 miles (60 km) away in “no man’s land” between the Iraq and Jordanian border.

Medical care and other assistance are being provided in Al-Ruwayshid by various agencies on the ground. Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is responsible for solid waste and sanitation facilities in the Ruwayshid and Al-Karama camp under an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Care-Austria, in collaboration with ECHO and UNHCR, is providing sanitary and social services including vaccinations for children and nutritional supplements for newborns and pregnant and breast-feeding women.

Following talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, UNHCR’s Ruud Lubbers said that Jordan will not pressure the approximately 200,000 Iraqi refugees living in Jordan to return to Iraq. In addition, a limited number of Iraqis would be allowed to stay long-term, particularly those married to Jordanians.

Iran

Due to security and housing concerns in Iraq, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has temporarily suspended its convoys to Iraq for refugees wishing to return from Iran. UNHCR started facilitating the return of Iraqi Kurd refugees through the northern Haj Omran crossing at the end of June 2004. A total of 543 Iraqi Kurds returned with UNHCR assistance through the crossing. However, UNHCR suspended the returns after local authorities in northern Iraq expressed concerns over housing shortages. UNHCR has been working with partnering organizations to build houses and other structures and facilities.

UNHCR had also been organizing convoys from Iran to the southern Iraqi city of Basrah since November 2003. Due to the security situation in Iraq, the convoys have been put on hold until further notice. UNHCR does not encourage Iraqi refugees to return to Iraq at the present time, but will facilitate the repatriation of Iraqis who insist on returning. Returnees will receive a package of relief items, a one-month food ration, travel assistance, and mine-awareness training.

The Iraqi Ministry of Trade estimates 122,000 Iraqi refugees, out of a total of about 202,000 living in Iran last year, have returned to nine southern governorates in Iraq. Iran, however, estimates 70,000 refugees previously settled in Iran have returned to Iraq. Most of the Iraqi refugees remaining in Iran have been living there since the Iran-Iraq war.

UNHCR and Iran’s Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigration Affairs plan to open Voluntary Repatriation Centers in Ahwaz and Kermanshah provinces in Iran, where Iraqis wishing to return can register for transportation.

9 The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) announced on March 15, 2004 that it will limit the number of ports of entry on Iran’s borders to three. Arriving visitors to Iraq will need to present a passport, complete an entry form, and will be entered into an immigration monitoring system.

Turkey

UNHCR has scaled down its operations along the border between Turkey and Iraq in order to focus on relief efforts already underway in Iraq. Turkey has said it would continue assistance to Iraqi refugees who fled Iraq prior the recent war and who now wish to return to Iraq. UNHCR said it could facilitate such repatriations, but could not guarantee the returnees’ safety upon return and thus would not encourage them to do so. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is also scaling down their operations in Silopi, Turkey, but said it would be ready to assist in the repatriation of Iraqis.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officials announced in January 2004 that Iraqi, Turkish, and UNHCR officials have agreed on the modalities of voluntary return of up to 13,000 Turkish citizens (ethnic Kurds) to Turkey from Iraq who have lived in exile in Iraq since the early 1990s. An estimated 9,200 of these refugees are living in Mahmour Camp, near Erbil, while others are living in Dahuk and Erbil governorates. Under the agreement reached at the Turkish capital, Ankara, Iraqi authorities will ensure that the return is voluntary and that the refugees are not subjected to pressure. The accord stipulates that UNHCR will have full and unhindered access to the refugees both on Iraqi territory and once they have gone back to Turkey. Turkish authorities are to ensure that the refugees who volunteer to go back to Turkey are free to return to their former places of residence or any other places of their choice within Turkey.

Kuwait

The Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) requests 96 hours to issue a clearance to agencies to carry out cross-border operations. Established by the Pentagon and the Kuwaiti military in January 2003, the goal of the HOC is to coordinate and facilitate transportation and distribution of aid to Iraq from various sources in Kuwait, other governments, or international and local relief agencies. The HOC is staffed by Kuwaiti officials and US and British military officers.

Humanitarian flights are exempt of all landing and parking fees. The Government of Kuwait has issued a statement that it must be notified 24 hours in advance to issue approved legal passes.

UN staff wishing to travel to Iraq through Kuwait need security clearance and must complete a Kuwaiti immigration form. The immigration form, in addition to a copy of a mission plan, must be given to the transportation office by 1600 hours one day prior to the mission.

Due to the security situation in Iraq, international staff members of UN agencies operating in southern Iraq have been relocated to Kuwait, as have international staff members from several international organizations, including International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Medical Corps (IMC), and Mercy Corps.

Syria

The Government of Syria has granted UN agencies and International Organization for Migration (IOM) a number of exemptions for fees, taxes and levees related to the import/export of humanitarian transit cargo to Iraq. New border crossing procedures have improved cross border movements.

About 362 people, including 47 Syrian families, are staying at a refugee camp about 12 miles (20 km) north of the city of Dahuk. The Syrians said they left their country due to deteriorating conditions after inter-ethnic violence and Kurdish rioting erupted in March 2004. UNHCR has registered the camp Note: This report has been compiled from publicly available information. Although information has been gathered from reliable sources the currency and completeness of the information reported herein is subject to change and cannot be guaranteed. Inquiries, updates and comments are welcome and should be directed to PDMIN team at [email protected].

10 residents and is supplying non-food items. British-based NGO Islamic Relief is continuing to assist more than 500 Syrian refugees in Baghdad and Al Anbar governorate.

Saudi Arabia

In July 2004, Iraq reached an agreement with Syria to seal their 370-mile (600 km) border in an effort to stop the infiltration of foreign insurgents into Iraq. The border is to be controlled form both sides using special security forces.

The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (GoKSA) has issued a blanket authorization for overflight and landing for an unspecified period of time. These clearances apply to flights between Kuwait and Amman.

All but about 480 refugees have left Saudi Arabia’s Rafha camp out of the original 33,000 in 1991. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that it had assisted a total of about 4,856 Iraqi refugees from Saudi Arabia as of May 18, 2004.