UNDP Iraq Situation Report #20
4 August 2003
Highlights
· A landmine exploded on the Baghdad Airport road injuring a UNDP’s IREP employee
· RPGs and AK 47 rounds fired near Al-Rashid hotel in Basrah
· UNDP is collaborating with the governmental departments in Basrah to provide needed materials and equipment for their operations
· Emergency water-supply repair teams, funded through IREP, to begin work across Mosul city
· UNDP has, so far, distributed 4,763,000 litres of fuel via 523 tankers to run generators that power 260 sewage pumping stations serving Baghdad
· IREP has so far executed its activities in 105 neighbourhoods in Baghdad with a total number of worker-days reaching 13,668
· Rehabilitation works at the Qaradagh power substation in Sulaymaniyah ensure power supply to 10,000 families living in the area
· UNDP has installed an 880 kVA generator at the Basrah General Hospital and a 660 kVA generator at the Basrah University
· UNDP’s IREP has so far rehabilitated 73 schools in Baghdad
· UNIFEM prepares for the Gender Symposium and the joint UN/WB needs assessment report
· ILO plans to execute an emergency programme focusing on employment generation and the revision of the 1987 Iraqi Labour Laws
· The exchange rate has increased during the last few weeks from ID 1,400 to the current rate of ID 1720 against US$ 1
Security Situation
Mosul
Security incidents in Mosul have decreased during the past week, permitting the execution of UNDP’s programme in the City.
Baghdad
There has also been an increase in attacks targeting Iraqi informants, translators and others working for the Coalition Provisional Authority. Mortars, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and rocket propelled grenades are now being used extensively against Coalition Forces patrolling or stationed in and around Baghdad. Similarly civilians have increasingly become victims due to the continuous attacks waged between resistance groups and Coalition Forces, the latest, 3 August, involving a UNDP IREP employee. The incident took place on the main highway leading to the Baghdad International Airport, which has lately witnessed an increase in number of attacks against Coalition Forces. The staff member’s personal vehicle exploded after driving over a landmine. Luckily the staff member survived the incident but has suffered extensive burns.
Basrah
The security situation in Basrah has been a concern. The latest incident involved a doctor at the Maternity and Children’s hospital who was shot in the shoulder and kidnapped. The incident occurred while UN staff were carrying out support activities inside the hospital.
On the 27 July, at approximately 9:45 pm, three rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and numerous AK 47 rounds were fired at a store near Al-Rashid hotel, one of the UN approved hotels in Basrah where UNHCR staff are accommodated.
Reconstruction
Basrah
Support to Local Government
UNDP in the Lower South is striving to enable local authorities to better plan and properly design their work. UNDP has been collaborating with the different departments in Basrah to provide materials and equipment, such as computers and repair of machinery for the water directorate.
Water and Sanitation
Mosul
UNDP is currently funding two emergency teams for the repair of breakages in the water-supply network. The activities will take place on both banks of the river and will continue for 6 weeks.
In an effort to support the Municipality of Mosul, UNDP’s IREP is supplying over 400 daily workers and 38 vehicles for garbage collection activities. These activities, which focus on a 6-month backlog of service provision, target three areas of the city with a population of approximately 700,000 inhabitants. So far, UNDP’s IREP has provided employment to more than 1,200 workers.
UNDP, in partnership with Mosul’s Municipality and its University’s Medical Faculty, will start an awareness campaign to highlight the hazards of solid waste accumulation. UNDP will sponsor the production of leaflets and television programmes linking the activity to its ongoing solid waste collection and disposal campaign.
Baghdad
In the effort to assist the Mayoralty of Baghdad in ensuring the operation of 260 sewage pumping stations that serve the population of Baghdad, 160 stations were supplied with a total of 450,000 litres of diesel fuel via 50 tanker trucks during the reporting week. The total amount of fuel distributed to pumping stations thus far amounts to 4,763,000 litres provided through a total of 523 tankers.
Cleanup Operation of Baghdad’s Sewer System
UNDP is assisting the Mayoralty of Baghdad in cleaning three Sewage Treatment Plants and the sewer systems of 7 out of the 9 municipalities in the city. In addition to the cleanup activity of the sewers, the programme has so far provided employment to 5,016 workers. The work was executed in 20 neighborhoods bringing the total number of neighborhoods served so far to 105, while the total number of workers hired under IREP’s activities has now reached 13,668 worker-days.
Basrah
Pumping stations repair in Shat Al-Arab
Due to the lack of maintenance, many essential services, including the water sector, have been disrupted. UNDP has identified the main pumping station in Shat Al-Arab district for immediate repair. Both the low and high lift stations are currently being repaired by UNDP in coordination with Basrah’s water department.
Sewage network in Al-Jamhuriya
UNDP is assisting the Sewage Department and the inhabitants of Al-Jamhuriya area in Basrah through the repair of the area’s sewage network which is currently affected by accumulated waste. The area has been divided into four geographic sectors; work has already been completed in the first sector while activities have commenced in the second.
Solid Waste Management
Activities in the districts of Safwan and Talha have started this week. The work included collection and disposal of solid waste as well as cleaning of the sewage network. Works in three other districts of Al-Faw, Um Qasr and Al-Zubair are planned to start next week.
Electricity
Erbil, Duhok, Sulaymaniyah and Mosul
The current water level at Dokan reservoir is 5 metres higher than during the same time last year while at Derbandikhan the level is nearly 10 metres higher. This increase in the reservoir will generate approximately enough power to meet minimal household electricity requirements for Erbil and Sulaymaniyah during the coming 6 months.
UNDP’s ENRP has rehabilitated seven (7) distribution transformers in Khabar district, Erbil which will provide reliable electricity to 985 families.
In Sulaymaniyah, rehabilitation works at the Qaradagh substation are almost complete. This will ensure reliable power supply to approximately 10,000 families living in the area. The rehabilitation works at the Dawagen substation continue and, once complete, will provide 2,000 families, 6 water wells, 8 factories and 6 poultry farms with reliable electricity.
UNDP’s technical team has completed its assessment of required back-up generators and associated ancillary items for more than 25 essential humanitarian services, such as water pumping stations and health facilities, in Mosul and Kirkuk. The required equipment will be procured and installed under “The Emergency Support for Essential Services” programme funded by Norway.
Baghdad
Generator Rehabilitation and Installation
UNDP, under its DFID funded project, is carrying out a technical assessment of the requirements for reconstructing the electrical network, repairing the control units and the cooling system of the Vaccine Institute in Baghdad. This institute, which supplies vaccines to all medical facilities in Iraq, was looted during the recent conflict.
UNDP is also rehabilitating five (5) power lines to strengthen and stabilize the national network.
Power lines:
- Dorah – Yusufiya
- Baghdad – Nahrawan
- Taji – Baghdad North
- Taji – Samara
- Samara South – Tarmiya
Additional emergency works will begin in Al-Bayaa sewage pumping station. Currently the station’s two (2) submersible pumps, which are out of order, have resulted in flooding the streets of the neighbourhoods with sewage water causing disorder and pollution.
Basrah
Generator Installation
UNDP is continuing its support to the inhabitants of Basrah through the installation of four generator sets and fuel tanks at Al-Faw 132kV substation. Additional works have included the latest emergency installations of an 880 kVA generator at the Basrah General Hospital and a 660 kVA generator at the Basrah University.
Community Support and Rehabilitation
Baghdad
Support to the Baghdad Communities
Garbage collection activity continued in the areas of Hay Al-Amil, Hay Al-Jihad, Al-Risala, Al-Shurta, Al-Bayaa, and Al-Saydiya.
The total number of schools rehabilitated so far has reached 73 while an additional six schools have been identified for immediate rehabilitation. A general survey of schools that had suffered varying degrees of damage during the recent conflict is underway.
Preliminary visits to Hurriya area have been undertaken and plans for expansion of the community programme into this area are being presently set. The first activities in Hurriya are planned for mid–August.
Internally Displaced Persons
Mosul:
In support of the internally displaced persons in Makhmur area, UNDP is working with Qandil, a non-governmental organization, in the development of a water pipeline linking returnee villages. UNDP is also looking into the possibility of either connecting these villages to the electricity grid or providing them with generators for their basic needs.
UNDP plans to assist UNHCR in its efforts to rebuild homes for IDPs. The assistance will take the form of provision of brick-making machines. In addition, UNDP, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture in Mosul, is assisting IDPs through the provision and care of poultry and livestock.
UNIFEM
Baghdad
The newly arrived UNIFEM mission is preparing for the Gender Symposium which will be held during 28-29 August 2003 focusing on Iraqi women and their role in shaping the country’s future. The Symposium will be inaugurated by Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, UNIFEM’s Executive Director, Mr. Henrik Kolstrup, UNDP Resident Representative in Iraq and a member of the Governing Council.
The UNIFEM mission will also contribute its findings to the joint UN–World Bank needs assessment report for the upcoming Iraq reconstruction conference in October. The report will focus on the priority needs and funding requirements for 2004 in addition to the rehabilitation and investment needs over the medium term.
International Labour Organization
Baghdad
An ILO mission has recently arrived to assess the employment sector in Iraq for the UN-World Bank needs assessment report and to establish an office in Baghdad. ILO is coordinating and partnering with UN agencies, NGOs and Iraqi counterparts in ministries and unions to execute an emergency programme which focuses on employment generation and the revision of the 1987 Iraqi Labour Laws.
The ILO mission will also look into the possible continuation of the UNDP-funded Community-Based Rehabilitation project, part of which focused on micro-credit loans for the disabled and disadvantaged members of society.