Iraqis; Food Distribution OK; Infrastructure Improving Very Slowly; Reconstruction and Humanitarian Operations Slow;
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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]. 1 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 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]. 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 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]. 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.