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

Transcription

1 April 8,

2 Note: New content has been inserted in red, italicized, bold font. Overview Humanitarian Situation: Continued concern about attacks on soft targets, security, sabotage, crime, and lethal exchanges between coalition and Iraqis; food distribution OK; infrastructure slowly improving; Political: US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair confer by phone ahead of Washington, DC meeting next week; Japan challenged after restricting its troops to base in Samawah explosions heard near base; Three Japanese civilians are kidnapped and threatened with death if Japan does not withdraw from Iraq; South Korea restricts original 600 troops out of 3,500 to base in south; Seven South Korean missionary hostages taken by militia were reportedly released; UN: The Secretary-General s Special Advisor, Lakhdar Brahimi, calls for end of violence; The International Committee of the Red Cross and Amnesty International call for the protection of civilians, the sick, and the wounded; US approaches over one dozen countries to contribute to an elite force of up to 1,500 troops to protect the UN upon its return to Iraq; Refugees: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) discourages repatriation due to security concerns has been arranging three convoys per week from Iran to south, each carrying people who specifically requested repatriation assistance--convoys have been temporarily suspended as security concerns mount; Large majority of refugees returning unassisted; 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 300,000 IDPs are in homes, most do not stem from recent war and most are in the North; Definition of IDP is very broad; 2001 study by UN HABITAT had found 40% had substandard water, sanitation, electricity, drainage, and roads; Civil Society/Rule of Law: Interior Minister Nuri al-badran, a Shiite who oversees the police, resigns; Like the Ministry, the Education Ministry is going independent of coalition oversight; The Iraqi Governing Council is negotiating with radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-sadr to end rebellion in exchange for dropping charges coalition still pushing for arrest of al-sadr; Civil Military Interaction: Coalition forces destroy al-sadr s al-mahdi Army headquarters in Sadr City section of Baghdad; Al-Mahdi Army controls all or portions of Kut, Najaf city, and Kufa in the south; Arab news network Aljazeera reports thousands of protestors headed for Fallujah with relief supplies arranged by Iraqi Red Crescent; US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld notes likely spike in US troops in Iraq; Humanitarian Access to Iraq: Approximately 85 aid agencies are currently working in Iraq, but rising attacks on civilians and increasing violence in lead-up to June 30 handover prompt agencies to consider exit strategies; As part of military operations, coalition shuts major highways between Jordan and Baghdad; Plan to register all aid groups, proposed in January, is delayed until May; Economy/Oil: US Presidential Special Envoy James Baker III says Iraq debt of US$125 billion plus war reparations claims are sustainable; The World Bank projects a sharp economic rebound in 2004 with growth anywhere from 30% to 70% and an economy worth US$17 billion to US$22 billion; Water/power: Iraq has more electricity than pre-war period, which is now distributed countrywide rather than centered in Baghdad; 4,000 megawatts of electricity being generated Electricity Ministry plans 7,500 MW capability by mid-2004; Over 1 million cubic meters per day of untreated sewage from Baghdad end up in Tigris River system coalition plans to treat 800,000 cubic meters by 2005; 2

3 : The UN World 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; 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. Reports of paying for services and shortages continue. Routes for Humanitarian Aid Country Supply Routes Supply Routes Comments From: To: Turkey Iskenderun (port) Mersin (port) Silopi North Open for humanitarian supplies Bandar Imam Khomeni (Port) Iran Ahwaz South Open for humanitarian supplies Kermanshah Northeast Open for humanitarian supplies Iraq Shipping Open for humanitarian supplies; South, Central Umm Qasr (port) High charges limit use Kuwait Kuwait City (port) South, Central Open for humanitarian supplies; Also military use Jordan Aqaba (port) Ar Ruwayshid Central Open for humanitarian supplies Latakia (port) Abu Kamal Central Syria Tartus (port) Beirut, Lebanon (port) Central Open for humanitarian supplies Al Tanf Al Yarubiyeh North Open for humanitarian supplies 3

4 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. The World 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 Council Resolution Volunteer nurses with the Northwest Medical Teams are continuing to conduct training programs in hospitals in Erbil, Dahuk, and Sulaymaniyah. Apr-5-04 Non- Items US NGO Mission East is helping to rebuild 20 villages in Sheikhan district southeast Shelter of Dahuk; Swedish NGO Qandil is currently working to build homes in Erbil; Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is hoping to build 30,000 more homes in the next 5 years; Other NGOs working on housing in Erbil are Counterpart and Help Age International. Water & Sanitation Other/Comments Feb 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 Mar US-based NGO Concern4Kids (C4K) is assisting local residents to generate income from honey production. Mar Coordination Population IDP Movement Kirkuk (Attamin), Mosul (Ninewa), Tikrit (Salahaddin) Population of Mosul: 1.7 million Population of Kirkuk: 755,700 Population of Tikrit: 28,000 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. 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 USAID is providing assistance to disability centers for approximately 8,000 disabled persons in Mosul. 4

5 Non- Items Shelter Water & Sanitation Other/Comments Mar The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is continuing rehabilitation work on health care centers in Mosul. Mar With funding from UK-based Department for International Development (DFID), UNICEF is working on emergency water and environment sanitation projects to supply potable water to schools and affected households in Salahaddin. 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 Central/West Regions Al Anbar, Diyala, Karbala, Babil, Wasit, Najaf, Qadissiya Coordination 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 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. On Thursday (April 8), thousands of Iraqis participated in a convoy carrying food and other supplies from Baghdad to residents in Fallujah, which has been sealed off by US troops since Monday (April 5). A hospital director in Fallujah reports that up to 300 Iraqis have been killed and at least 400 injured since the US launched Operation Valiant Resolve on Monday (April 5), aimed at targeting insurgents responsible for the deaths of 4 US security contractors in the town last week (March 31). Residents in Al-Tuwaytha, located 11 miles (18km) southeast of Baghdad, have reported a variety of ailments that they allege may be related to exposure to radioactive barrels looted from the Al-Tuwaytha nuclear plant. Mar USAID is helping to rehabilitate Al Andalous Primary care Clinic in Ramadi (Al Anbar) to serve people a day from a community of nearly 30,000; On February 17, USAID opened one primary healthcare training center in Najaf will train primary healthcare providers in March and April 04. Feb Non- Items Shelter 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. Residents in Fallujah have reported shortages in water and electricity supplies due to the sealing off of the city by US forces. 5

6 Other/Comments Apr-7-04 Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has started rehabilitation of sewage pumping stations, water treatment plants and water boosting stations in Al Anbar and Diyala governorates. Apr-6-04 US-based NGO International Rescue Committee (IRC) is working with Bedouin tribal leaders and Najaf s Department of Irrigation to restore 12 water collection centers in Najaf governorate to benefit up to 40,000 people. Mar As of April 8, members of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-sadr s al-mahdi Army reportedly control police stations and public buildings in Najaf and Kut. Bulgarian and Polish troops reportedly traded fire with insurgents in Karbala overnight (April 7). US forces have closed the main highway from Baghdad to Jordan as part of Operation Vigilant Resolve. Baghdad Coordination Population IDP Movement Non- Items Shelter Water & Sanitation Baghdad Population: 5.8 million 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. 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 The Iraq Ministry of has launched a pilot program for a rapid disease surveillance system in the Rassafa and Al Kharkh districts of Baghdad. Apr-8-04 Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and UNICEF have established pilot youth house in Al Maghrib, Baghdad serving children daily; US-based NGO, Mercy House, is operating a home for over 50 orphans and runaways in Baghdad. 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 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 Mar

7 Other/Comments Seven South Korean members of a church group were released after being kidnapped on Thursday (April 8). The group had been traveling from Jordan to Baghdad when they were abducted. Thousands of protesters rallied on Thursday (April 8) in front of the Um al- Qura Mosque in Baghdad in support of residents in Fallujah. Heavy fighting was reported in the Abu Ghraib area in western Baghdad on Thursday (April 8). The Baghdad Expo trade fair, scheduled to begin on Monday (April 8), has been postponed due to security concerns. Apr-2-04 The US coalition is giving Baghdad US$10 million for beautification projects in Baghdad s nine municipalities. Mar South Region Basrah Coordination Umm Qasr, Basrah Population IDP Movement Non- Items Shelter Water & Sanitation Population of Basrah: 1.5 million US-based NGO Save the Children has completed registration of IDPs in Basrah, where 5,300 IDPs have been identified. 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 With support from USAID, the Iraqi Ministry of has initiated a measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) campaign in the Basrah area to immunize about 400,000 school children aged 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 Mar Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is continuing work on implementing water purification plants to provide drinking water to 20,000 people in Basrah. Mar

8 Other/Comments 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. 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 Preparations are underway to restore commercial operations at Al Basrah International Airport. Mar 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 Non- Items UNHCR partners are planning to send relief items to up to 300 families who have Shelter been displaced by recent flooding caused by the bursting of a dike in Maysan governorate. Apr-6-04 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. Japan will provide 240 tents to the governorate of Al Muthanna as aid for victims of recent flooding of the Euphrates River, whose water level has risen after heavy rains in northern Iraq and Turkey. Apr-1-04 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 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 8

9 ecosystem in the Maysan area. Mar Neighboring Countries Humanitarian Activities/Preparations 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, 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

10 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 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,