IRAQ UNITED NATIONS SITUATION REPORT 5-11 July 2004 OVERVIEW The United Nations (UN) Iraq programme has undergone an internal review. The return of international UN staff into Iraq - in large numbers, is not forecast in the near future. UN agencies, their Iraqi staff, and their non- governmental organisation (NGO) partners in Iraq, will continue to refine and enhance programme implementation and oversight, in the main, from neighbouring States. The electoral assistance mission, a vital part of Iraq’s democratisation, continues to provide support to Iraq institutions to enable them to conduct elections next year. HUMANITARIAN Humanitarian Access Anti-Coalition activity continues in a number of urban areas in central and southern Iraq, notably Baghdad, Falluja, Najaf, Karbala, Amarah and Basra. In the north, reports of forced evictions of IDPs from public buildings and military facilities in Diyala Governorate have raised serious concern. In Najaf, Missan, Thi- Qar and Basra governorates, prevailing insecurity on the roads has resulted in restriction of movement for civilians, and cargo trucks transporting food and relief supplies. UN Iraq Programme The UN has submitted 29 programmes and projects to date for Iraqi Strategic Review Board (ISRB) approval. Of these, 17 were approved on 13 June and a further eleven were approved on 7 July. One proposal is to be reviewed at the next ISRB meeting on 17 July. The value of the proposals approved on 13 June was $ 232 million. The value of proposals approved on 7 July was $124 million. Proposals have come from Cluster (1): Education and Culture, Cluster (2): Health, Cluster (3): Water and Sanitation, Cluster (4): Infrastructure and Housing, Cluster (5): Agriculture, Water Resources and Environment, Cluster (8): IDPs and Refugees, and Cluster (9): Governance and Civil Society. New Iraq website The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has established a dedicated website for its programme in Iraq: www.UNDP-Iraq.org. Whilst the main focus is on UNDP’s activities as cluster manager for governance and civil society, infrastructure and housing, mine action and poverty reduction and human development, it also has useful links to other sites and contacts. CLUSTER COORDINATION FOR IRAQ Health Immunization Follow-up Outreach Teams have this month commenced a 6 months effort to follow defaulters (people who have participated in the first round of the National Immunization campaign but have not had their follow-up vacation). In Ninewa Governorate alone, 109 Outreach Teams in 11 districts have been established to implement this activity. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are providing the initiative with planning and resource support. In Kirkuk, WHO is supporting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to conduct a survey (3-8 July) to detect maternal awareness of National Immunisation Day campaigns in coordination with District Directors. Access to Quality Healthcare WHO has proceeded with the US$100,000 process of renovation and rehabilitation of the Nursing Education Centre in Suleymania Governorate, and continues to provide technical assistance for a MoH proposal to upgrade rural health services, as part of the proposal submitted to the UN Development Group (UNDG) Trust Fund by the UN Health Cluster “Strengthening Public Healthcare in Iraq”. Rehabilitation work on the Central Blood Bank (Stage 2) is ongoing with almost 10 percent of initial works complete. Disease Control The WHO Officer-in-Charge in Baghdad met with the Communicable Disease Control Centre UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION FOR IRAQ IRAQ FOR MISSION ASSISTANCE UNITED NATIONS (MoH) and held discussions concerning the situation of water borne diseases in Iraq. WHO continues to support waste management and collection in Mosul hospitals. An estimated 5.5 tons of waste has been collected (5-11 July) and transported to a designated waste site. [email protected], Nicholas McGowan, UNAMI Reporting Unit 1/3 IRAQ UNITED NATIONS 5-11 July 2004 SITUATION REPORT Health Rehabilitation Project for Iraq (HRPI) In Kuwait the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have finalised the tender for the supply and installation of medical equipment for the Interventional Cardiology Centre of Basra Teaching Hospital. IOM has also concluded agreement with the King Hussein Cancer Centre in Amman to take 20 new cases of paediatric oncology. The oncology training programme for the Iraqi MoH will commence in the coming weeks. Infrastructure New Children’s Cultural Centre UNDP have announced that work has just started on the rehabilitation and conversion of a famous children’s theatre in Baghdad to a Children’s Cultural Centre. The new Centre, which is located in an area that was badly bombed in the recent conflict, will include a library, music and internet room. This UNDP project will be completed three months and culminate in a Children’s Art Festival, security permitting. Upon completion, it will be the only facility of its kind in the country, and if successful, will be replicated in the other governorates. Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Cluster Meets new Minister The newly appointed Minister of Displacement and Migration, Ms. Sorya Y. Isho Warda, visited Amman on her way to meet the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva. Minister Isho met with the Jordanian Minister of Interior when assurance was given that Iraqis in Jordan would not be forced back to their country. The Minister and her delegation also met with Mr. Ross Mountain, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq ad interim (SRSGa.i.) and with several Cluster Task Managers, UN agencies, NGOs, ICRC, IFRC and Cluster 8. The Minister also participated in a workshop on the Draft Strategic Plan for IDPs in Iraq. A half-day workshop was organized bringing together the MoDM, Cluster 8, and NGOs. The draft strategy, which had been shared with the Ministry in advance, was discussed, validated and adopted by the Minister at the end of the workshop. The outcome will also help in preparing a response to the Emergency Relief Coordinator who has recently asked Humanitarian Coordinators in various countries where IDP challenges are faced (including Iraq) to recommend how a collaborative approach could be put in place to address the IDP problem. The Minister was also briefed on property, nationality and statelessness issues. A donor briefing was organised by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, with major donor countries participating. The briefing allowed the Minister to highlight the needs of the Ministry and the several million Iraqi’s and non Iraqi refugees of concern to her. The Minister, who arrived in Geneva on 14 July, will meet with the High Commissioner for Refugees, the Director-General of IOM and the President of ICRC. Capacity Building The efforts to enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Displacement and Migration continued by various members of Cluster 8. An independent international humanitarian expert with solid field experience in Iraq was hired by UNHCR and attached to the Humanitarian Department of the Ministry. He will provide advice and assistance in the areas of policy development, humanitarian response, information management and coordination. Assistance IOM reported that attacks against NGOs in Iraq in the previous week have led to slowed operations in some governorates. In Najaf and Kerbala, IOM monitoring activities will be suspended pending a review of the security situation. In Kuwait, IOM has approved health and education rehabilitation projects supporting IDPs in the Marsh areas. With the summer season now here, IOM partners have been submitting proposals focused on water and sanitation supporting IDPs, and their host communities. IOM is currently reviewing these proposals. UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION FOR IRAQ IRAQ FOR MISSION ASSISTANCE UNITED NATIONS Durable Solutions A UNHCR project focussing on the reintegration of returning refugees and IDP’s in southern Iraq (US$7.2 million) was approved by the UNDG TF steering committee. The project will expand already ongoing activities and will benefit an additional 20 returnee communities in southern Iraq through community based activities, ensuring access to basic services such as water, sanitation, health, education rehabilitation,/supplies and primary health care rehabilitation. Pilot shelter activities will also be undertaken to meet returnee needs. [email protected], Nicholas McGowan, UNAMI Reporting Unit 2/3 IRAQ UNITED NATIONS 5-11 July 2004 SITUATION REPORT In Erbil Governorate, UNHCR implementing partner has just concluded a project providing housing for 400 returnee families in Qushtape district and will be starting another project in the same area benefiting another 400 families. Shelter material will be distributed and returnees will be building their own shelters through QIPs with expert support and monitoring. Return of Qualified Nationals During the recent visit of the Iraqi Minister of Displacement and Migration to Amman, IOM brief on current and planned programmes in Iraq. The Minister expressed great interest in the Return of Qualified Nationals project and expressed her support to see the project commence as soon as possible. Governance and Civil Society Strategy Meeting The Minister of Justice and the Minister of Human Rights were formally invited to participate in a joint meeting in Amman with members of Cluster 9 (Governance and Civil Society). The meeting, coordinated by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and UNDP, is scheduled to