November 10, 2003
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November 10, 2003 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 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 Tartus (port) Syria 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]. 2 Overview Humanitarian Situation: Continued concern about attacks on “soft” targets, security, sabotage, lethal exchanges between coalition troops and Iraqis, crime, and lack of key infrastructure; Nationwide food distribution proceeding smoothly; Political: The new Pentagon-controlled Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Office will replace the US Corps of Engineers and US Agency for International Development (USAID) in overseeing some of the US$ 87.5 billion allocated for Iraqi reconstruction; The Washington Post reported that the Bush administration is considering alternatives to the Iraqi Governing Council as officials say the US-appointed body is moving too slowly in drafting a new constitution; UN: UN announces remaining 20 foreign staff in Baghdad have been temporarily relocated to Cyprus; Citing the independent panel security review report by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, Secretary General Kofi Annan says the UN is already making many security changes; New team headed by Gerald Walzer, former Deputy UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), will review security decisions; Refugees: As winter approaches, UNHCR representative in Jordan is holding consultations with Jordan to resolve the plight of 1,500 refugees still stranded in no-man’s land between Iraq and Jordan; UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, discouraging large-scale returns to Iraq; Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Some 265,000 IDPs have been identified in southern and central Iraq, and have been entered into International Organization for Migration (IOM) data repositories; Civil Society/Rule of Law: UK’s special representative to Iraq, Jeremy Greenstock, says the coalition must request patience from the populace and “Iraqicize” security; The Coalition Provisional Authority’s mass grave action plan suspects that up to 260 mass graves contain at least 300,000 victims of Saddam Hussein’s regime Civil–Military Interaction: Chief Administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, warns that the coalition should expect intensified attacks in the coming months; The U.S. is developing troop rotation plans and draw- downs to about 105,000 U.S. troops by May of 2004—plans contingent on improved security and additional Iraqi security forces; Humanitarian Access to Iraq: The International Red Cross has closed its Baghdad and Basrah offices temporarily due to security, but will maintain its operations in the North; International NGOs increasingly depending on local staff to continue operations as international staff being withdrawn due to security; Economy/Oil: Estimated near-term income from oil is around US$12 billion per year—nearly equal to estimated budget needed to run country—reconstruction and debt pay-off will be additional costs; Water/power: Public Works Minister Nisrin Mustafa al-Barwari says half of homes are linked to water systems—aims for 90 percent by end of 2004; Less than 10 percent are linked to public sewer systems; Food: Coalition, World Food Program (WFP), and Iraqi Ministry of Trade meet in Jordan to coordinate handover food distribution on November 21—Ministry of Trade will have responsibility under coalition using the Public Distribution System and newly trained personnel; Oil-for-Food program prioritizes US$8.5 billion in contracts out of US$10 billion in rush to finish before November 21 handover to coalition; Health and Medical: No major disease outbreaks; Coalition reports all 240 hospitals and 1,200 clinics open; UN Population Fund (UNFPA) says maternity deaths nearly tripled from 117 per 100,000 live births 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 1989 to 310 in 2002—current 2003 figures are not available; International Organization for Migration (IOM) continuing medical evacuation program despite staff cutbacks. 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 Note: New content has been inserted in red, italicized, bold font. In Country Humanitarian Assistance Preparations North Region Erbil, Dahuk, Sulaymaniyah Coordinator UN Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (UOHCI) is aware of 36 NGOs in northern Iraq Affected Population IDP Movement 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; UNHCR has provided tents, blankets, and other household items to several hundred Iraqi Kurds who have returned to Dahuk; Approximately 175 Kurdish families are living just east of Mosul, and another 700 families are living in Zamar Food WFP preparing to hand over responsibility for food distributions to Kurdish authorities by November Health Four volunteer nurses from Northwest Medical Teams International will provide training in hospitals in Erbil and Dahuk NFIs –Shelter UNHCR has begun a shelter program which will construct 70 houses for approximately 500 IDPs in two villages outside Erbil Water & All water projects in urban and semi-urban areas in Erbil are functioning properly Sanitation Security Other/Comments Power in Dahuk has been restored; Electric power is available for 20-22 hours per day in Erbil; Telephone services have been restored between Dahuk and Mosul; Relocation of UN international staff in the Northern Governorates is underway Kirkuk (Attamin), Mosul (Ninewa), Tikrit (Salahaddin) Coordinator Affected Population IDP Movement UNHCR is funding projects to assist some 2,500 newly displaced Arabs who have gathered in the Hawija area west of Kirkuk; About 250 Kurdish families have been staying at Kirkuk’s sports stadium awaiting housing from authorities Food Health International Medical Corps (IMC) completed renovations of four health clinics in Kirkuk NFIs –Shelter World Vision was able to distribute blankets, cooking stoves, and other non-food essential items to 2,990 IDP families living in public buildings or camps in Mosul Water & US-based NGO International Rescue Committee (IRC) is continuing to help improve Sanitation sewage line repair and garbage collection in Kirkuk Security Security situation in Mosul reported as tense; A US Black Hawk helicopter was confirmed to have been shot down on Friday (November 7) near Tikrit, killing 6 people on board Other/Comments The Mosul airport is still closed to UN flights, which are using Erbil as the landing point in the North; All civil, criminal, and administrative courts in Kirkuk are now open 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 and hearing cases; World Vision International reports that rehabilitation of more than 80 schools in Mosul has been completed so that more than 40,000 school children can return to classes Central/West Regions Anbar, Salahaddin, Diyala, Karbala, Babil, Wasit, Najaf, Qadissiya Coordinator Affected Population IDP Movement US-based NGO Save the Children has completed registration of IDPs in Najaf, where 2,157 IDPs have been identified; International Medical Corps, Mercy Corps, and CARE are working on projects that serve the IDP population in Diyala Food Kuwait’s Red Crescent Society (KRCS) is sending its 28th batch of aid to Al Kut city, containing food items, flour, water, and milk Health US-based NGO Mercy Corps has supplied medical kits to health facilities in Qadissiya and Wasit, benefiting over 60,000 patients