Iraq HAR080103

August 1, 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 Iraq South, Central Accommodates shallow-draft vessels Umm Qasr (port) Open for humanitarian supplies; also Kuwait Kuwait City (port) South, Central 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

2 Overview

Today’s Highlights

Humanitarian Situation: Continued concern about security and lethal exchanges between coalition troops and Iraqis; Sabotage, crime, lack of key infrastructure, and unemployment/salaries continue to cause concern; Water and power improving slowly; Nationwide food distribution proceeding smoothly;

Political: British House of Commons Select Foreign Affairs Committee reports that Iraq war may hamper war against terrorism and may give terrorists a rallying point;

UN: Secretary General Kofi Annan says many countries want a broader mandate—the imprimatur of the UN would provide needed legitimacy;

Refugees: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) does not support major repatriation this year due to lack of security; UNHCR planning additional groups from Saudi Arabia to be repatriated every 10 days depending on security; UNHCR preparing for small repatriations from Iran in August;

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates 254,000 IDPs, of which 85,000 have been registered—included are 100,000 old-case Marsh Arabs in the South, 54,000 in the North due to Arabization and reversal, and urban poor;

Civil Society/Rule of Law: Ibrahim Jafari, a Shiite, named as first president of interim Governing Council; Jafari is one of nine in representative rotating presidency – Council criticized for not making more progress in appointing ministers; Coalition plans to set up independent Iraqi court to try Saddam Hussein and other former leaders;

Civil–Military Interaction: Attacks on coalition forces continue, particularly on routes in and out of Baghdad; Increasing coalition raids conducted in search of Saddam Hussein and loyalists yield more than 240 arrests;

Humanitarian Access to Iraq: World Food Program (WFP) routes in order of decreasing tonnage are: Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Umm Qasr, Kuwait, and Iran; Major routes out of Baghdad to north, west, and south are out of bounds for UN; UN consolidates location in north because of security threats; Airlines vying for right to fly into Baghdad;

Economy: To meet national demand, UN Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) says Iraq needs to double production of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene and quadruple production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)—150 of 700 wells are in working order—the very poor and humanitarian efforts to be affected;

Water/power: Coalition plans to regularize power in most cities with 3 hours on and 3 hours off— hospitals and select institutions would have 24-hour power; Coalition producing 3,400 megawatts compared to 4,000 before war; Basra to be connected to national power grid before mid-August;

Food: Over 400,000 MT brought in during July—total since April nearly 1.7 million MT; Half of anticipated 1.25 million MT wheat crop purchased at a cost of $73 million;

Health and Medical: No major disease outbreaks, but high summer temperatures increase potential for water-borne diseases; Health system hampered by security situation, lack of equipment and training.

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

In Country Humanitarian Assistance Preparations

North Region

Erbil, Dahuk, Salaymaniyah 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; UNHCR is rehabilitating villages and providing shelter materials in Erbil governorate to IDPs who have been returning Food Food distribution is at pre-conflict levels; Trial plantings of winter cereals, summer vegetables, and industrial oil-seed crops has started in all three northern governorates Health In Dahuk, all hospitals are functioning normally; Two volunteer physicians with the US-based Northwest Medical Teams are teaching skills to doctors in hospitals in Erbil NFIs –Shelter Water & All water projects in urban and semi-urban areas in Erbil are functioning properly Sanitation Security Stable, but reports of radical elements regrouping, particularly in Sulaymaniyah Other/Comments Power in Dahuk has been restored; Electric power is available for 20-22 hours per day in Erbil; Telephone services were restored between Dahuk and Mosul

Kirkuk (Attamin), Mosul (Ninewa), Tikrit (Salahaddin) Coordinator Affected Population IDP Movement Three task forces have been established in Mosul to discuss issues related to the return of IDPs from the three northern governorates: Return and Resettlement, Land and Property Issues, and Mass Information Campaign on Land and Property Restitution Food The Ministry of Trade office in Kirkuk reported that July ration distribution to food agents is underway and that warehouses are mostly full, except for some shortages in milk, infant formula, and tea; The Kirkuk Ministry of Trade Ration Registration Center is issuing temporary ration cards for IDPs in Kirkuk Health NFIs –Shelter 40,000 items of clothing donated by a Korean firm will be distributed by World Vision in Mosul and Al Rutba Water & A UN Security Assessment Mission to Mosul reported that the water and health Sanitation systems are in relatively good condition with facilities unaffected by looting, but the 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 sanitation system remains a concern; 70% of Tikrit is connected to the sewage system and water is also available; In Kirkuk, International Rescue Committee (IRC) is supporting a solid waste collection project to benefit 480,000 people and a sewage line clearance project to benefit about 300,000 people Security Increased attacks mainly against coalition forces in Kirkuk; Security situation in Mosul reported as tense, and increased restrictions for UN staff movement are in place; The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) has begun two new operations bases in Kirkuk and Mosul; 74 Iraqi policemen have completed their training at the Police Academy in Mosul; A gasoline pipeline is on fire after an explosion in an area 20 km (12 miles) north of Tikrit – no casualties were reported and the incident is under investigation Other/Comments The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will open an employment office in Kirkuk to serve as a clearinghouse for employers and job seekers; UNDP’s Iraq Reconstruction and Employment Program (IREP) is providing employment to 1,000 people in Mosul

Central/West Regions

Anbar, Salahaddin, Diyala, Karbala, Babil, Wasit, Najaf, Qadissiya Coordinator Affected Population IDP Movement According to the Danish Refugee Council, registration of IDPs in Diyala governorate is ongoing and has so far registered over 53,000 IDPs, most of whom are living in former Iraqi military camps, jails, and other unused facilities; International Medical Corps, Mercy Corps, and CARE are working on projects that serve the IDP population in Diyala; WFP has started food distribution to an initial 17,500 IDPs in Diyala governorate and plans to distribute nearly 300 tons of food over the next ten days Food Food distribution to IDPs in Diyala has been delayed until the list of beneficiaries can be reviewed; Food distributions in the region have continued and are reported to be completed with the exception of wheat flour in Najaf, Karbala and Qadissiya; WHO has provided an emergency health kit for the benefit of the estimated 40,000 IDPs in Diyala Health International Rescue Committee (IRC) will distribute 100 safe delivery kits to traditional birth attendants and midwives in Karbala Governorate NFIs –Shelter World Vision is delivering more than 3,600 relief packages to residents of Ar Rutbah containing clothing, blankets, plastic sheeting, and water containers Water & Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has resumed work on the New Hella water-works Sanitation project in Babil to supply water to over 500,000 residents; (IRC) has equipped four health clinics in Karbala Governorate and plans to equip four additional clinics Security There has been a trend of attacks against the coalition from the Fallujah to Ramadi area; The rate of attacks on Highway 1 from Baghdad to Mosul remains particularly high; Anbar, Diyala, and Salahaddin are still inaccessible to UN staff due to poor security; Other/Comments

Baghdad

5 Baghdad Coordinator UNOCHI is aware of 40 NGOs operating in Baghdad; Due to heightened security in Baghdad, particularly in light of the anniversary of the former Baath party taking power, agencies which are not compliant with the UN’s Minimum Operating Security Standards (MOSS) have been asked to leave; The NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq (NCCI), located in the Al Wahda district in Baghdad, now has more than 50 members and about 20 observers Affected Population: 5.8 million Population IDP Movement An IDP working group has been established to coordinate a response to a reported total of 3,000 families in Baghdad who have been displaced; International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that about 2,000 IDPs of Roma origin have occupied the Abu-Ghraib and Al-Rashid military camps; The UN Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (UNOHCI) reports that coalition forces evicted about 250 families from police and fire stations, and government facilities in Al-Alawi, Khadamiyah and Baghdad airport areas despite principles agreed upon by the Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Center – Baghdad working group which calls for the avoidance of use of force, advance written notification of eviction, and identification of sites and plans for relocation Food The Ministry of Trade reports that 60% of food agents under the Public Distribution System (PDS) to date have picked up food rations for distribution to more than 3 million people in Baghdad Health International Medical Corps (IMC) received 12 supplementary WHO medical kits, each of which provides medicines for 10,000 people for 30 days; 39 hospitals in Baghdad governorate started receiving food commodities under an activity coordinated by World Food Program, Ministry of Trade, and French NGO Premier Urgence NFIs –Shelter Water & By June 26, Baghdad was restored to about 70% of its pre-war water pressure level Sanitation Security Security in Baghdad has been heightened in response to an increase in attacks on coalition forces in and around the Baghdad area; No security clearance will be issued for humanitarian missions between the two locations until further notice; Official travel between Baghdad and Al-Hillah must be conducted through Al-Kut (Highway 6 and 7) in both directions; As of July 31, UNSECOORD has classified all routes from Baghdad to Qasim, Hillah, and Jordan via Falluja and Ramadi as out-of bounds/“no go” zones due to serious security concerns Other/Comments The Baghdad International Airport is still closed to commercial traffic; UNDP’s Iraq Reconstruction and Employment Program (IREP) is providing employment to more than 3,800 workers in Baghdad through clean-up activities

South Region

Basrah

Umm Qasr, Basrah Coordinator Affected Population of Basrah: 1.5 million Population

6 IDP Movement Assessments indicated that 612 IDPs are in Basrah Food Health The health professionals strike in Basrah against insecurity and revenge killings has ended NFIs –Shelter UNHCR is stockpiling relief supplies in Basrah to have on hand for up to 5,000 people who may be returning from refugee camps in neighboring countries or IDPs within Iraq who may require assistance Water & Recent water samples show low levels of residual chlorine and high bacterial Sanitation contamination as a result of leakage, low power supply, and damage of equipment; UNICEF is continuing water deliveries to Umm Qasar town by tanker trucks; UNDP has completed work on two sewage pumping stations serving 270,000 residents of Basrah Security UNSECOORD reports an increase in criminal activity in the Basrah region, with criminal gangs becoming better organized; There has been a trend in kidnapping for ransom; WFP warehouses in Basrah have been subject to looting; More than 2,000 policemen have been retrained and are now back on duty; UN staff movement has been restricted due to recent shootings Other/Comments The Umm Qasr port was officially opened for commercial freight on June 16, with priority given to vessels carrying humanitarian, reconstruction, and military cargo; The coalition is operating railway service from Umm Qasr to Baghdad and from Baghdad to other cities including Mosul, Al Taji and Bayji; Electricity in Basrah is available for 14-15 hours per day but fuel shortages continue to hamper humanitarian organizations’ operations; Dredging of the Umm Qasr port is expected to be completed by next week

Al Muthanna, Nassiriyah (Dhi Qar), Amarah, Maysan Coordinator UNOHCI is aware of 22 NGOs operating in southern Iraq Affected Population IDP Movement Food Health The Al Amarah General Hospital in Maysan recorded a 1,400 percent increase in dysentery cases and a 3,000 percent increase in diarrhea cases among infants over the past two months; Czech Republic-based People In Need Foundation (PINF) is working on reconstruction of five public health centers in Maysan governorate NFIs –Shelter Water & Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has resumed work on the Al Shatra and Al Islah Sanitation water-works projects in Dhi Qar to supply water to over 100,000 residents; The Czech-based People in Need Foundation (PINF) has completed work on rehabilitating three major water units in the marshlands of Missan governorate Security Drug and arms trafficking has increased, especially in Amarah Other/Comments

Neighboring Countries’ Humanitarian Activities/Preparations

Jordan

7 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. Travel on this route in the short-term may be dangerous due to the threat of hijacking while on the road.

Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has constructed latrines and is responsible for sanitation and solid waste management in the Ruweishid refugee camp A. There are approximately 1,100 refugees currently residing in the camp.

According to UNHCR, 1,240 people, mostly Iranian Kurds from the Al Tash refugee camp, are currently residing in no-man’s land at the Iraqi border with Jordan. Jordan has refused entry to the refugees. A refugee camp has been set up for them, using some structures that were relocated there from the Ruweishid camp.

Following talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, UN High Commissioner for Refugees 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.

The coalition is withdrawing from the Jordanian/Iraqi border, leaving behind a staff of 10 personnel.

Iran

The Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) has stated that requests of convoys crossing the Iranian border could be processed within 24 hours, once the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides clearance.

UNHCR is planning to help move a few hundred Iraqi refugees from Iran to Basrah in the coming weeks, but only if the refugees had identified a place to stay and a form of backup support in Iraq. UNHCR said that due to the lack of basic services and security, Iraq was not yet ready for large-scale returns.

According to UNHCR staff in Basrah, about 50-100 Iraqi refugees are returning each day from Iran over the Shalamsha border crossing. There are currently about 200,000 Iraqi refugees living in Iran either in host communities or in 22 camps near the border.

Turkey

The border with Turkey remains open to diplomatic and press missions only. Discussions are underway with the government of Turkey to open the border to enable returnees to go home.

As there have been no reports of refugees crossing into Turkey and requesting asylum as a result of the recent war, UNHCR has said it is scaling 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 to 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 at this time. IOM is also scaling down their operations in Silopi, but said it would be ready to assist in the repatriation of Iraqis.

The World Food Program (WFP) has signed an agreement with Turkey to reopen its office in Ankara to organize and coordinate aid for Iraq.

8 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 now 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.

The HOC, originally scheduled to close on June 30, will now continue to operate until September 30, 2003.

WFP recently had to suspend direct transport of goods from Kuwait due to insecurity and looting, bringing in goods through Umm Qasr instead.

Syria

The Government of Syria has granted UN agencies and 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. UNICEF is encouraging the use of Syria as a corridor for entry of humanitarian aid into Iraq.

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.

More than 3,600 Iraqi refugees are expected to leave the Rafha camp in Saudi Arabia by the end of the year. About 5,200 Iraqi refugees, many of whom are army deserters from the 1991 Gulf War, remain in the camp. Small groups will be repatriated to Iraq with assistance from UNHCR approximately every ten days depending on the security situation.