INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Dart Northern Iraq Update

Published: Sun 1 Jun 2003 06:48 PM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KUWAIT 002377
SIPDIS
STATE ALSO PASS USAID/W
STATE PLEASE REPEAT TO IO COLLECTIVE
STATE FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE, NEA/NGA, IO AND SA/PAB
NSC FOR EABRAMS, SMCCORMICK, STAHIR-KHELI, JDWORKEN
USAID FOR USAID/A, DCHA/AA, DCHA/RMT, DCHA/FFP
USAID FOR DCHA/OTI, DCHA/DG, ANE/AA
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA:WGARVELINK, BMCCONNELL, KFARNSWORTH USAID FOR
ANE/AA:WCHAMBERLIN
ROME FOR FODAG
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH
ANKARA FOR AMB WRPEARSON, ECON AJSIROTIC AND DART
AMMAN FOR USAID AND DART
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF IZ WFP
SUBJECT: DART NORTHERN IRAQ UPDATE
-------
SUMMARY
-------
1. In Kirkuk, the 30-member city council was chosen by Coalition
authorities on 24 May. Each of the main ethnic groups (Kurds,
Turkmen, Assyrians, and Arabs) is represented on the council,
which has also elected three assistant mayors: an ethnic Turk, an
Assyrian, and a Kurd. A mayor and deputy mayor were chosen on
May 28. The mayor is a Kurd, and the deputy mayor is an Arab.
2. ORHA reported that the USD 20 emergency payments were ready
and would be distributed immediately following the elections.
The security situation in northern Iraq is currently calm;
however, the attack on a U.S. Military convoy about 100
kilometers north of Baghdad is still an indicator that not all is
well. End Summary.
------------------------------------------
MINISTRY OF RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
------------------------------------------
3. The Ministry of Reconstruction and Development (MORAD) hosted
on 24 May its weekly coordination meeting, at which the United
Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) presented the results
of a recent survey of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living
in public buildings. In an exercise that ended in early May,
UNOPS surveyed 13,359 IDP families living in 300 public buildings
in the three northern Governorates of Dahuk, Arbil, and As
Sulaymaniyah.
3. According to a 2001 U.N.-HABITAT Site and Family Survey,
there are 805,505 IDPs living in the Kurdish-controlled region of
Iraq. Three quarters of these people were displaced prior to
1990, either as a result of the former regime's "Arabization"
program or the al Anfal campaign. Almost half of the IDPs are
from former Government of Iraq-controlled areas, most from the
cities of Kirkuk and Mosul.
4. The full results of the survey can be found on the
Humanitarian Information Center's website at
agoodplacetostart.org. Some selective results presented in the
MORAD meeting were:
-- Timetable: 61 percent of the respondents in As Sulaymaniyah
and 52 percent of the respondents in Arbil said they would like
to return to their place of origin within three months. However,
64 percent of the respondents in Dahuk did not provide a
timeframe for return. Apparently this is because the majority of
IDPs in Dahuk are from areas bordering Turkey that are lesser-
developed and still unstable because of activities by the
Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) and the Turkish military.
-- Conditions for return: 66 percent of those surveyed said the
most important condition for return is shelter. After shelter,
respondents cited security (12 percent), employment (9 percent),
and legal claims (4 percent). Only 0.3 percent cited food as a
condition.
-- Where to go: 69 percent of the respondents want to return to
their place of origin. 19 percent want to be resettled where
they currently live, and 12 percent want to go to a third
location.
--------------------
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
--------------------
5. A DART food officer traveled to Kirkuk on 26 May and met with
WFP and Ministry of Trade (MOT) staff. Following insecurity in
Kirkuk and recent looting of MOT stocks, newly arrived Coalition
forces are now guarding WFP's warehouse and its perimeter. WFP
believes this will deter potential looters. According to MOT
silo staff in Kirkuk, Coalition forces also have agreed to secure
other MOT complexes, although this has not yet happened.
6. As previously reported, beginning 27 May, WFP Mosul and
Kirkuk will begin receiving up to 115,000 metric tons (MT) of
bulk wheat grain over the next two weeks. WFP will store the
grain at MOT silos in the two Governorates. An initial shipment
of 30,000 MT will go to Mosul. The DART will monitor the
shipments.
7. WFP recently signed an agreement with the MOT to store 50,000
MT of wheat in open bins at its Kirkuk silo. There is currently
60,000 MT of last year's wheat harvest in other bins there and,
reportedly, a total of 140,000 MT in the Governorate's four
silos. The wheat currently stored in Kirkuk appears to be in
good condition. MOT staff were awaiting instructions from
Baghdad on how milling will be done; previously the mix had been
25 percent local wheat and 75 percent Oil for Food imported
wheat.
8. The MOT silo manager stated that he needs 35 million Iraqi
Dinar (ID) a month to pay staff salaries at all four silos (based
on pre-war rates). On 25 May, he used seven million ID from the
MOT Kirkuk silo bank account (the balance was 16 million ID) to
pay a 20 percent salary to all silo employees. The manager noted
that neither the USD 20 emergency payment nor a formal salary
from the Coalition Provisional Administration had yet been made
to his staff.
--------------------------------------------- ---------
DART-FUNDED NGO ACTIVITIES IN NORTHERN IRAQ
--------------------------------------------- ---------
9. Three implementation plans were approved on 26 May, and one
was approved on May 29. Mercy Corps International (MCI) will
repair water and sewage systems at schools in Khaniqeen and Save
the Children will provide essential drugs and supplies to two
obstetric/gynecology and pediatric hospitals in Mosul. Also,
World Vision International will supply IV fluids to medical
centers in Mosul. Details of cooperative agreement partner
activities follow.
International Medical Corps:
-- Kirkuk Medical Centers: USD 376,000 to re-equip and renovate
four health centers in Kirkuk that were looted following the war.
Approved 14 May.
-- Four World Health Organization (WHO) emergency health kits to
four Kirkuk medical centers. Approved 14 May.
Mercy Corps International:
-- Short-term Assistance to the Directorate of Water and
Sewerage in Kirkuk, Tamim Governorate: USD 8,375 to assist the
Directorate with transportation for staff and testing equipment.
Approved 18 April.
-- Short-term Emergency Assistance to the Water Treatment Plant
in Khaniqeen, Diyala Governorate: USD 33,700 for short-term
maintenance requirements and fuel to run the treatment plant.
Approved 12 May.
-- Two WHO emergency health kits for health facilities in Tekef
and Ain Sifni, Ninawa Governorate. Approved 18 April.
-- Khaniqeen Schools Toilets: USD 145,548 to repair water and
sanitation systems in 50 schools in Khaniqeen. Approved 26 May.
Save the Children:
-- Transportation for Health Workers in Mosul, Ninawa
Governorate: USD 1,800 to transport health worker to and from
hospitals and primary health care centers for one month.
Approved 6 May.
-- Provision of Supplies to Hospitals in Mosul, Ninawa
Governorate: USD 2,000 is being provided to pay for gasoline,
cooking gas, cleaning supplies and emergency repairs at Al Khansa
and Al Atheer hospitals. Approved 12 May.
-- Support for supplementary feeding programs at Khansa and Al
Atheer hospitals in Mosul, Ninawa Governorate: USD 11,446 is
being provided for this program. Approved 7 May.
-- Essential pediatric drugs and supplies for Al Khansa and Al
Atheer hospitals in Mosul: USD 17,264 has been provided for this
project. Approved 26 May.
-- Essential obstetric and gynecology drugs and supplies for Al
Khansa and Al Atheer hospitals in Mosul: USD 7,718 has been
provided for this project. Approved 26 May.
-- Two WHO emergency health kits are being provided for Al
Khansa and Al Atheer hospitals in Mosul. Approved 26 May.
World Vision International:
-- IV fluids to 13 medical facilities in Mosul. USD 168,929 has
been provided for this project. Approved May 29.
URBANCIC
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media