April 22, 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, kidnapping, crime, and lethal exchanges between coalition and Iraqis; food distribution OK; infrastructure slowly improving; reconstruction slowing;

Political: Emergency meeting of 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Malaysia calls for UN Security Council resolution and central UN role in restoring Iraqi sovereignty and independence; US plans for current US Ambassador to the UN, John Negroponte, to become Ambassador to Iraq—will head largest US embassy and report to US State Department;

UN: Several member countries of OIC say they would send troops to Iraq to protect the UN or in response to UN request; Secretary-General Kofi Annan reiterates that he does not expect UN peacekeepers in Iraq, but rather a Security Council-approved multinational force; UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) condemns bombings of police facilities in Basra;

Refugees: Between 80,000 and 130,000 Iraqi refugees believed to remain in Iran; Large majority of refugees returning unassisted with minimal problems; UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) discourages repatriation due to security concerns;

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Iraqi Red Crescent sets up 500-family camp near Fallujah for civilians fleeing fighting—families starting to return; The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates between 650,000 and 900,000 IDPs in Iraq—300,000 IDPs are in homes, most IDPs do not stem from recent war and most are in the North;

Civil Society/Rule of Law: According to US Congressional testimony, Iraqi interim government will have limited sovereignty and no control over coalition forces; UNICEF reports more schools closed and lower attendance due to insecurity; Insurgents continue to distribute leaflets threatening those who cooperate with coalition; Human Rights Watch criticizes treatment of 10,000 civilian detainees by US;

Civil–Military Interaction: In Fallujah, ceasefire holds, but some fighting continues—some heavy weapons being turned in and some Iraqi security forces returning; In Najaf, standoff continues as coalition pulls back to outskirts and radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remains in the city; Some Basrah residents demonstrated against coalition after attacks on police facilities;

Humanitarian Access to Iraq: With increased security threat, numerous aid agencies depart Iraq or decrease staff; A handful of aid agencies are still in-country; NGO Coordinating Committee in Iraq (NCCI) calls for compliance with conventions governing armed conflict—encourages end of current conflict;

Economy/Oil: World Bank to spend US$400 million pledged in Abu Dhabi in next six to nine months for capacity building/training, emergency reconstruction, and longer-term planning; Second quantity of 7.6 million barrels of oil is auctioned off from northern oil fields now that pipeline from Kirkuk to Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan is operational after a year’s hiatus

Water/power: Work stoppage by Siemens and GE, and blockage of major supply routes interrupt power reconstruction; Electricity is currently at pre-war level—4,000 megawatts; Numerous projects on water treatment plants and pipelines underway to improve water quality throughout country, but progress is slow; Sewage treatment to improve by year’s end;

Food: Effects of conflict, attacks on supply lines, and road disruption unknown; The UN World Food Program (WFP) expects to deliver food aid in Iraq until at least July, 2004 under agreement with the CPA⎯Iraq’s population will need around 450,000 metric tons (MT) of food aid to last until then; 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 Health and Medical: Three-quarters of Iraqis reported to have access to adequate health care; Seventy percent of children fully immunized; 240 hospitals and 1,200 primary care clinics employ over 100,000 health care workers; Continued reports of shortages and having to pay for good service.

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

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 According to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are approximately 42,000 IDPs living in Dahuk Governorate, 5,000 of which are living under the care of UN agencies—approximately 175 Kurdish families are living just east of Mosul, and another 700 families are living in Zamar. Food The World Food Program (WFP) handed over responsibility for food distributions to Kurdish authorities on November 21, programs that are not terminated will be passed on to Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) under UN Security Council Resolution 1483. Health Volunteer nurses with the Northwest Medical Teams are continuing to conduct training programs in hospitals in Erbil, Dahuk, and Sulaymaniyah. ⎯Apr-5-04 Non-Food Items – No New Information Shelter Water & Sanitation Swedish NGO Qandil is helping to build a dam .62 miles (1 km) northwest of Sulaymaniyah. Under construction since July 2003, the dam is set to be completed by May 2004. — Mar-09-04 Security No New Information Other/Comments US-based NGO Concern4Kids (C4K) is assisting local residents to generate income from honey production. ⎯Mar-23-04

Kirkuk (Attamin), Mosul (Ninewa), Tikrit (Salahaddin) Coordination No New Information Population Population of Mosul: 1.7 million Population of Kirkuk: 755,700 Population of Tikrit: 28,000 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 300 Kurdish families have been staying outside the Kirkuk football stadium awaiting housing from authorities. Food The International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is continuing distribution of food and hygiene items to residents in Mosul identified by local partner organizations as being most vulnerable. ⎯Mar-22-04 Health USAID is providing assistance to disability centers for approximately 8,000 disabled persons in Mosul. ⎯Mar-25-04 The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is continuing rehabilitation work on health care centers in Mosul. ⎯Mar-22-04 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 Non-Food Items No New Information –Shelter Water & With funding from UK-based Department for International Development (DFID), Sanitation UNICEF is working on emergency water and environment sanitation projects to supply potable water to schools and affected households in Salahaddin. Security UK-based Mines Advisory Group (MAG) reports that it has removed more than one million mines and items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Kirkuk, Mosul, Kifri, located 80 miles (130 km) southeast of Kirkuk, and Erbil governorate. ⎯Mar-26-04 Other/Comments

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 More than 5,000 families (or up to 60,000 people) have fled Fallujah, according to the Iraqi Red Crescent Society. ⎯Apr-12-04 Food No New Information Health France-based NGO Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) plans on setting up a mobile clinic in a camp to be set up by the Iraqi Red Crescent Society outside Fallujah for people fleeing the fighting. France-based NGO Enfants du Monde also has plans to assist in the camp. ⎯Apr-15-04 USAID reports that rehabilitation and expansion of the Al Nasir Primary Healthcare Center in Najaf have begun under USAID’s Community Action Program. ⎯Apr-15-04 Non-Food Items – The Iraqi Red Crescent is making preparations for a camp about 6 miles (10 km) Shelter outside of Fallujah to house families fleeing fighting in the besieged city. About 170 tents for 750 people will be initially provided. ⎯Apr-14-04 Water & Sanitation USAID reports that cleanup work at Najaf city’s Al Zarga water treatment plant is nearly complete. Rehabilitation work at the plant is set to be completed by August 2004 and will serve Najaf city’s 563,000 residents. ⎯Apr-8-04 Residents in Fallujah have reported shortages in water and electricity supplies due to the sealing off of the city by US forces. ⎯Apr-7-04 Security Some 36 Iraqis were killed on Thursday (April 22) in several bouts of fighting in Fallujah that took place despite a ceasefire in place since last week (April 11). Thai troops have been ordered to remain within their camp in Karbala until the security situation is assessed. ⎯Apr-13-04 Other/Comments On Wednesday (April 21), US forces have stopped allowing the return of residents

5 to Fallujah after Iraqi insurgents failed to surrender heavy weapons, one of the key tenets of an agreement reached between local city officials in Fallujah and US forces. About 60 families had been allowed to enter Fallujah before the halt was put in place.

Baghdad

Baghdad Coordination No New Information Population Population: 5.8 million IDP Movement Mosques in Baghdad are reportedly making preparations to take in IDPs from Fallujah. ⎯Apr-13-04 France-based NGO Premiere Urgence has reported on 7,000 IDPs in Baghdad; UNHCR has registered more than 8,200 Palestinian refugees in Baghdad who no longer receive support from authorities; About 700 families of Roma origin are reportedly living in a former Baghdad orphanage. Food The International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is continuing distribution of food and hygiene items to residents in Baghdad identified by local partner organizations as being most vulnerable. ⎯Mar-22-04 Health UNHCR has made available 3 emergency health kits (benefiting 30,000 people) for assistance to displaced people from Fallujah who have arrived in Baghdad. ⎯Apr-13-04 The Iraq Ministry of Health has launched a pilot program for a rapid disease surveillance system in the Rassafa and Al Kharkh districts of Baghdad. ⎯Apr-8-04 Non-Food Items – US officials are planning to open a shelter in an undisclosed location in Shelter Baghdad for women who are victims of domestic or other forms of violence; —Apr-22-04 UNHCR has made available relief items such as blankets, stoves, mattresses, and plastic sheets to displaced people from Fallujah who have arrived in Baghdad. The items are being delivered by NGOs in Baghdad. ⎯Apr-13-04 Water & Sanitation Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has started rehabilitation of sewage pumping stations, water treatment plants and water boosting stations in Baghdad. ⎯Apr 6-04 USAID is re-equipping a health center in Baghdad’s Taji district, which will provide basic care, lab testing, and dental care to 5,000 local residents and conduct community health awareness campaigns. ⎯Mar-25-04 USAID reports that rehabilitation of Baghdad’s Sharkh Dijlah water plant is underway and will add an additional 225,000 cubic meters (59,440,000 gallons) per day by May 2004; Rehabilitation of 3 sewage treatment plants in Baghdad is underway and will benefit 3.8 million residents by October 2004. ⎯Mar-19-04 Security A Spanish journalist and his translator were shot dead in a Baghdad supermarket on Thursday (April 22). A curfew has been imposed on Baghdad’s Firdos Square as of Friday (April 9). Other/Comments Major highways leading to Baghdad from the north, south, and west have been closed as of April 19. France-based NGO Action Contre la Faim has sent its international staff in Baghdad to Jordan due to the current security environment. 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].

6 ⎯Apr-16-04 France-based NGO Handicap International has withdrawn its international staff and suspended its activities in Baghdad due to the security environment. ⎯Apr-14-04 Norwegian People’s Aid has suspended mine clearing activity in Baghdad and has withdrawn its international staff to Jordan as a result of the current security situation. ⎯Apr-12-04

South Region

Basrah

Umm Qasr, Basrah Coordination No New Information

Population Population of Basrah: 1.5 million IDP Movement US-based NGO Save the Children has completed registration of IDPs in Basrah, where 5,300 IDPs have been identified. Food USAID has helped to install independent sources of power at Baghdad airport and Umm Qasr seaport – offloading cargo from more than 40 ships per month; 200,000 tons of grain unloaded since mid-November ‘03. — Feb-24-04 Health With support from USAID, the Iraqi Ministry of Health has initiated a measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) campaign in the Basrah area to immunize about 400,000 school children aged 6-12. Non-Food Items – No New Information Shelter Water & Sanitation USAID reports that the rehabilitation of the Sweet Water Canal reservoir in Basrah governorate has been completed, supplying water to more than 1.75 million people in the area. —Apr-22-04 UNHCR is supporting the rehabilitation of water distribution systems in areas in Basrah governorate that are receiving former refugees. — Apr-2-04 UK-based Department for International Development (DFID) is partly funding improvements to Basrah’s main water treatment and distribution plant, with the aim of doubling the plant’s operating efficiency by summer 2004. ⎯Mar-26-04

7 Security About 1,000 supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr marched in Basrah on Thursday (April 22). New Zealand forces in Basra have been ordered confined to their quarters due to security. ⎯Apr-13-04 All UN operations in Basrah have been suspended until further notice; International staff curfew is in place from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am; All UN international staff and UN Joint Logistics Center in Basrah have been relocated to Kuwait; The International Red Cross has decided to close its Basrah office temporarily due to the security situation. Other/Comments UK-based Department for International Development (DFID) is funding a series of projects in Basrah governorate, valued at over US$10 million, to provide a reliable power supply to four towns in the governorate. ⎯ Mar-26-04

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 The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delivered medical items and surgical equipment to Nassiriyah on Friday (April 9). Non-Food Items – Planned assistance by UNHCR to families affected by recent flooding in Dhi Qar Shelter has been put on hold temporarily. ⎯Apr-13-04 France-based Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) is assisting IDPs, recent refugees, and vulnerable communities with the distribution of shelter materials, rehabilitation of the water and sanitation infrastructure, and improvements to health and education facilities in Al Muthanna, Dhi Qar, and Wassit governorates. ⎯ Apr-2-04 Water & Sanitation France-based Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) is continuing work on emergency water and sanitation projects to benefit 2,800 residents of Rumaitha city and 6,800 residents in Khedir and Samawah cities in Al Muthanna governorate. ⎯ Apr-2-04 Security The Japanese government on Wednesday (April 7) extended the suspension of reconstruction activities of Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) troops outside of their camp in Samawah. Activities within their camp, including water purification for distribution, will continue. Other/Comments UNHCR has provided funding to reinforce dikes in Dhi Qar governorate to prevent a repeat of recent flooding in the area. ⎯ Apr-7-04 UNHCR is supporting a program in Maysan governorate that provides legal advice and outreach counseling to more than 60,000 returnees. ⎯ Apr-2-04 US-based Development Alternatives, Inc (DAI) will be working in cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources on a year-long effort to restore the marshland ecosystem in the Maysan area. —Mar-31-04

8 Neighboring Countries’ Humanitarian Activities/Preparations

Jordan

Several NGOs have evacuated their international staff members to Jordan due to recent violence in Iraq. The French branch of the Red Cross announced on Wednesday (April 14) that its activities in Iraq have been suspended and that it will provisionally close its office in Amman, Jordan.

The Government of Jordan has stated that borders with Iraq are open for the flow of goods. The Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Center (HACC-West) has advised that it needs 24-hour advance notice of vehicle movement into Iraq from Jordan. The coalition on April 5, 2004 closed major highways linking Jordan and Baghdad as part of current military operations underway in al-Anbar governorate.

At the Al-Ruwayshid Refugee Camp, managed by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO), there are more than 400 refugees. The Jordanian government has agreed to keep this camp open until the end of April ‘04. Most refugees are Palestinians who previously lived in Iraq, as well as some Sudanese and Somali refugees. 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).

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

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.

Due to the current security situation in Iraq, UNHCR has temporarily discontinued its thrice-weekly convoys transporting Iraqi refugees back from Iran as of April 6, 2004. UNHCR says it does not encourage large-scale returns at this time, nor does it promote voluntary returns due to security in Iraq.

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 some 100,000 Iraqi refugees remaining in Iran have been living there since the Iran-Iraq war. UNCHR recently assisted about 5,000 refugees under its repatriation program, under which beneficiaries received US$20 and transportation to Basrah.

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

9 them to do so. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is also scaling down their operations in Silopi, but said it would be ready to assist in the repatriation of Iraqis.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officials announced in January 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) in Kuwait requests a maximum of 96 hours to issue a clearance to agencies to carry out cross-border operations. 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 are improving cross border movements.

Saudi Arabia

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 500 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 4,500 Iraqi refugees from Saudi Arabia as of March 9, 2004.