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 Previous Iraq Reports
  Feb 03, 2010
  Jan 27, 2010
  Jan 20, 2010
  Jan 13, 2010
  Jan 06, 2010
  Dec 30, 2009
  Dec 23, 2009
  Dec 16, 2009
Iraq Crisis Daily ReportSubscribe for daily email
Compiled by Pacific Disaster Management Information Network
This report is published every Wednesday except on U.S. Federal holidays.
February 3, 2010

Overview

 

Political: An Iraqi appeals court lifted a ban imposed on nearly 500 candidates with alleged ties to Saddam Hussein’s outlawed Baath party on Wednesday (February-3), allowing them to run in upcoming parliamentary elections, electoral authorities reported. Last month, the Justice and Accountability Commission implemented the ban, which outraged Sunnis who believed it was an attempt by Shi’ite led authorities to marginalize them. BBC News and Reuters reported Hamdiya al-Husseini, a member of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) as saying, “The appeals panel decided to allow the banned candidates to participate in the next election and decided to postpone looking into the case until after the election.” She added that successful candidates on the list will not be able to assume office until the appeals panel gave a final ruling on their cases. The ban jeopardized the elections and threatened to reignite old sectarian disputes. (BBC, Reuters, February-3)

 

On Monday (February-1), US President Barack Obama sought Congress’ approval for around US$160 billion this year, and again in fiscal year 2011 to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Monday, Obama asked for an additional US$33 billion in the current 2010 fiscal year to help pay for a surge of troops in Afghanistan, which is on top of around US$130 billion that Congress has already approved for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars through Sept. 30, 2010, Reuters reported. The proposed budget will include a request for US$159.3 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for the 2011 fiscal year that begins on October 1, Reuters reported. According to the National Priorities Project, a non-partisan budget research group, this is the first year that more money has been allocated to Afghanistan than Iraq, Reuters reported. (Reuters, February-1)

 

Two separate bombings this week aimed at Shi’ite pilgrims has left at least 61 people dead and over 200 others wounded. On Wednesday (February-3), officials reported a suicide bomber driving a car detonating his explosives in a crowd of pilgrims, killing at least 20 people and wounding more than 100 others. It was earlier reported that the bomber was on a motorcycle. The explosion occurred on the outskirts of the holy city of Karbala around 11 AM local time in an area known as Ibrahimia, near the east entrance of the city about 50 miles (80 km) south of Baghdad, the Associated Press (AP) reported. According to the BBC, the pilgrims were making their way to the Imam Hussein shrine where Shia Muslims were to mark Arbaine, the end of 40 days of mourning for the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. Additionally, hours before the attack, two separate roadside bombs targeting the pilgrims exploded in Baghdad, killing one person and wounding seven others, the AP reported a security official as saying. The attack came just days after another suicide attack left at least 41 dead and over 100 others wounded in northeast Baghdad. Reports say the suicide bomber was female and blew up her explosive vest among a crowd of pilgrims marching in Baghdad’s district of Bob al-Sham on their way to Karbala. The attack Wednesday occurred even after officials promised better security. The attacks raise fears of heightened sectarian tensions. According to the BBC, tens of thousands of Shias, many from Iran, are expected at the shrine before the festival’s end on Friday (February-5). (AP, Xinhua, BBC, February 1-3)

 

The Iraqi parliament, on January 26, passed a 2010 budget that sets federal spending this year at around US$72.4 billion (84.7 trillion Iraqi dollars), and a deficit of US$19.6 billion dollars (22.9 trillion dinars), Reuters reported Iraqi lawmakers as saying. The budget, which was held up for weeks due to negotiations, represents an increase of 23 percent over the 2009 budget, according to the US State Department. Lawmakers said that the budget sets an expected oil price of US$62.5 per barrel and puts expected average oil exports at 2.15 million barrels per day in 2010. According to Reuters, the head of the finance committee said the new oil projections were an increase from the previous year, which put expected oil exports at 2 million barrels per day and the oil price at US$50 per barrel. According to the budget law, the deficit amounted to 27 percent of total spending and was to be financed with surpluses from previous years and also through domestic and external borrowing. The head of parliament’s oil and gas committee said that lawmakers included in the budget a clause setting aside US$1 per barrel of oil produced for oil-producing provinces to use in investment projects, while other provinces involved in oil refining and gas production will receive similar set-asides. The total income of the Iraqi government was estimated to reach US$52.8 billion dollars (61.7 trillion dinars). The budget law also includes authorization for Iraq to seek a US$4.5 billion financing arrangement with the International Monetary Fund and contemplates US$2 billion in financing by the World Bank. (Reuters, January-26)

 

UN: The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) launched a US$1.6 million school feeding program on Monday (November-16) to provide some 172,000 children with a free daily snack to help boost attendance and learning in eight of Iraq’s poorest districts. Funded by the Iraqi Government, the program will include each primary school child receiving an 80-gram date bar fortified with a range of micronutrients over the next three months. Additionally, the WFP plans to extend the initiative to assist 1 million children in vulnerable districts in 14 governorates next year. This effort is just one of many projects they are conducting to help the most vulnerable people in Iraq, WFP Iraq Country Director Edward Kallon said. (UN News Center, November-16)

 

Refugees/Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Over 50 NGOs and host country government representatives met in Damascus, Syria on Monday (January-18) and developed the 2010 Regional Response Plans for Refugees (RRP), which maps out the next steps in providing critical assistance and protection for Iraqi refugees across the Middle East, the UN’s Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) reported. According to the Plan, there are 260,000 registered Iraqi refugees in Syria, and less than 1,000 have pursued assistance to return home under the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) voluntary repatriation program.  According to Iraqi refugees, small refugee returns to Iraq can be attributed to a lack of social services and employment opportunities, and uncertainty surrounding the upcoming elections. Other strategic objectives of the RRP include ensuring refugees can continue to seek refuge in their host countries, offering vocational training to those wishing to return to Iraq and pursuing measures to get an additional 12,000 Iraqi children in Syria enrolled in school. (IRIN, January-19)

 

The International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) latest assessment of Iraqi returns in November found that food, non-food items and fuel were the most urgent needs, with the latter increasingly important for the winter. IOM’s focus has shifted to how best to help the nearly 1.6 million IDPs in Iraq, whether they wish to return, to integrate into the place of displacement or to go elsewhere. The most recent assessment reveals that about 53 percent of interviewed post-2006 IDPs wish to return, while another 45 percent of those interviewed want to integrate permanently into their places of displacement or move to a third location. Additionally, employment is also a concern, with 34 percent of IOM-assessed families saying that even though they are able to work, they are unable to find it. Other serious concerns include shelter, water, electricity, healthcare and access to potable water. In an effort to improve the lot of returning displaced families, and to find long-term solutions, IOM will provide in-kind grants this year to 500 families to help them start their own businesses and to re-establish employment and income. In the next year, IOM hopes to hook up with 6,500 more returnee families in Iraq for similar assistance. The organization is pursuing more funding to help unemployed returnees build new businesses or to find new jobs to try and find long-lasting solutions to Iraq’s severe displacement crisis. (IOM, November-3) Over 1.5 million Iraqis still live outside the country, mostly in Syria and Jordan, while another 2 million are internally displaced. (UNHCR, June-2)

 

Civil Society/Rule of Law: The number of deaths in Iraq since March 2003 is estimated by Iraq Body Count (IBC) as between 95,175 and 103,836 for civilians and 4,693 for coalition forces, including 4,375 US troops, 179 British troops and 139 troops from other nations. While 4,900-6,375 Iraqi military personnel are estimated to have died during the 2003 war, reliable figures are unavailable for the new Iraqi security forces established in late 2003. (Reuters, icasualties, February-3)  

 

Iraq’s civilian death toll dropped by more than half to 135 people in January, compared to December’s death toll of 306, Reuters reported officials as saying on Monday (February-1). In December, Iraq endured a series of suicide car bomb attacks in Baghdad, which took more than 100 lives. A major attack also took place in late January when three Baghdad hotels were bombed, killing over 30 people. US military officials expect a rise in violence ahead of parliamentary elections on March 7. Additionally, the Web site www.icasualties.org reported only two US military personnel casualties in January. (Reuters, February-1)

 

In 2009, the number of Iraqi civilians killed in violence dropped by half to about 4,500 from the previous year’s death toll of 9,226. Despite the decrease in deaths, improvements in security have slowed, while large-scale bombings that have killed hundreds of people, has become the troubling new trend. Additionally, although there has been a dramatic drop in violence since the height of sectarian violence in 2003, human rights group Iraq Body Count’s co founder and spokesman, John Sloboda, was quoted by Reuters as saying, “Iraq is clearly suffering more daily violence from terrorism and instability than any other country, considerably more violence even than Afghanistan and Pakistan.” (Reuters, January-1)

 

Humanitarian Situation and Access: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iraq wants a closer relationship with local Iraqi NGOs in 2010, and Basil Abdul-Wahab al-Azawi, head of the Commission of Society Enterprises, an umbrella group of more than 1,000 NGOs inside and outside Iraq, feels more effective aid can be given to Iraqi returnees if cooperation between local NGOs and the UN agency is increased, the UN’s Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) reported. However, ongoing violence, the process of establishing a legal NGO and cooperation between NGOs and the government are constraints. One of UNHCR’s 2010 goals is the expansion of the “national NGO partnership programme” to expand the agency’s impact at the community level. Al-Azawi thinks if given “equal opportunities with international NGOs,” Iraq’s government will help provide necessary support and successful outcomes. (IRIN, December-31)

 

The Iraqi parliament passed a new NGO law on Monday (January-25), and now awaits approval by the three-man presidential council, the NGO Coordination Committee for Iraq (NCCI) reported. AKnews reported Alaa Talabany, chief of the civil society committee, calling the adoption of the law a “big achievement” after the law had been adjusted several times.  Civil society activists are appealing to those involved in the advocacy process to use any connections they have with the presidential council to ensure that the law is passed. Among the many improvements made to the NGO law since the March 2009 draft, one major change includes the reversal of prohibiting Iraqi NGOs from receiving foreign funding or from “affiliating” with any foreign entity without the approval of the government. The new law has removed those provisions, enabling NGOs to efficiently partner with the international community on reconstruction and humanitarian assistance projects, according to the NCCI. (NCCI, AKnews, January-26)

 

At least 12,000 community members, including teachers, staff from community based organizations and youth, from Baghdad, Basrah, Kirkuk and Diyala governorates, will participate in  training from Mine Advisory Group (MAG) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to learn about the dangers of small arms and weapons in Iraq. Because of the large number of guns and easy access to them in Iraq, children are particularly at risk. In 2008, the Kirkuk Provincial Department of Health recorded 313 deaths and 975 accidental gunfire injures of mostly children and youth. “This training is a critical start to raise awareness of how the widespread presence of guns and other light arms in Iraq threaten the safety and lives of Iraqi children,” UNICEF Iraq Representative Sikander Khan said, hoping to avoid needless child deaths in the future. (UNICEF, January-20)

 

Economy/Oil: Iraqi crude oil production averaged 2.48 million barrels per day (MBPD) as of January 27, which is the same as the previous week. (USDOS, January-27) Iraqi crude oil exports averaged 1.90 MBPD as of January 27, which is a decrease of 0.09 from the previous week. (USDOS, January-27)

 

Iraq’s oil ministry said January 21 that the country’s oil exports climbed by about 8.5 percent while revenues soared almost 43 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to the same period a year earlier, the Associated Press (AP) reported. According to the AP, oil exports for the last three months of 2009 averaged almost 1.92 million barrels per day versus around 1.76 million barrels per day in 2008, while revenue from oil sales came in at around US$12.89 billion compared to US$7.35 billion. According to the AP, the surge in revenue is more likely linked to the rebound in oil prices. The country produces some 2.5 million barrels of oil per day. Iraq has been trying to boost output and exports, and as of the end of 2009, Iraq has made agreements for the development of 11 oil fields with international companies. (AP, February-2)

 

According to United Press International, (UPI), a Shi’ite lawmaker says that a deal struck with the Iraqi government, BP and the China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) violates the terms of the Iraqi Constitution. BP and CNPC were the first companies to receive long-term oil contracts in postwar Iraq during an auction in June for the Rumalia oil field and signed an agreement in November, the UPI reported. The parliament member, Shatha al-Musawi, complained that any deal between Baghdad and foreign oil companies could be illegal without the consent of lawmakers, the Telegraph newspaper reported. According to UPI, Musawi’s complaint, filed against the Iraqi premier, Nouri al-Maliki, and oil minister, Hussein al-Shahristani, could derail all of the contracts given to international oil companies in 2009, including with Russia’s Gazprom and LUKoil, as well as Exxon Mobil. Court proceedings on the case begin on February 1, according to the UPI. (UPI, January-25)

 

US companies have been arriving in Iraq in recent months to pursue multi-billion dollar oil projects in Iraq, according to a report by the New York Times (NYT). Among the US companies that have started sending workers and equipment to Iraq or have plans to are: Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Weatherford International and Schlumberger, as well as several construction and engineering companies, including KBR, Bechtel, Parsons, Fluor and Foster Wheeler. According to the NYT, Halliburton and its former subsidiary KBR, as well as Bechtel and Parsons have been criticized by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction for their previous work in Iraq. Over the past several months, Iraq has signed 10 production contracts with international companies as it tries to increase oil output from 2.4 million barrels per day to as much as 12 million barrels a day within six years. According to the NYT, officials say that they hope to drill at least 430 oil wells over the next two years. The work will require new pipelines, including as many as three undersea lines, floating terminals, water treatment facilities, pump stations, oil storage tanks, power plants and possibly a new Persian Gulf port. (NYT, January-14)

 

Water/Power: The electricity supply from the grid between January 14-20 was 13 percent higher than the year-earlier period and met 66 percent of the estimated demand, compared with 60 percent from the year-earlier period.  (USDOS, January-27) During 2009, there was a continued and accelerated growth in grid power that started in September 2007. The growth has significantly reduced the gap between grid supply and estimated demand for the first time. (USDOS, January-13)

 

Food: On Monday (January-4), Iraq’s acting trade minister, Safa-Eddin al-Safi, announced a partnership between Iraq’s Ministry of Trade and the UN World Food Program (WFP) to improve the state-run food aid system, which has deteriorated since 2003 because of insecurity, poor management and corruption, the UN’s Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) reported. According to the 2010-2014 memorandum of understanding, the WFP will offer consultation and training to Trade Ministry employees on how to buy, transport, store and distribute food items nationwide in a timely manner while maintaining quality. Al-Safi was quoted by IRIN as saying that the partnership is “a major and important step on the path of improving the food rationing system.” He hopes the partnership will accomplish the Ministry’s goal of securing the food rationing system’s items nationwide. (IRIN, January-6)

 

Health/Medical: As of Thursday (January-28), the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported Iraq’s H1N1 flu death toll at 42, which is the same as the previous update. According to the UN agency, the Eastern Mediterranean Region Office (EMRO) has cumulatively confirmed 1,002 H1N1 flu deaths in 20 member states. (WHO, January-28) The WHO says the reported death toll is an under representation of the actual numbers as many deaths are never tested or recognized as influenza related. Iraq is one of the countries in the EMRO to have already experienced a peak in activity during December 2009 and in the first week of January 2010. (WHO, January-26)

 

The Iraqi cabinet approved a law on Sunday (January-17), allowing Iraqi doctors to carry weapons to help protect physicians subjected to kidnapping, murder and tribal demands for blood money from relatives of deceased patients. The proposed law could help prevent doctors from fleeing the violence of Iraq and encourage those abroad to return. However, the law awaits approval by parliament. Under the draft law, anyone who demands a tribal settlement from a doctor will face a possible prison sentence of three years or a fine of no less than US$8,000 (10 million Iraqi dinars). Additionally, the law would push back the retirement age to 70 from 63 if doctors are needed, and would allow for construction of residential compounds to begin for physicians near hospitals and other health institutions. (Reuters, January-17)

 

 

 

In-Country Humanitarian Assistance Information by Region

 

North Region

Erbil, Dahuk, Sulaymaniyah

Coordination

US forces handed responsibility for security in Iraq’s three northern provinces of Erbil, Dahuk and Sulaymaniyah to the Kurdish regional government in May of 2007.

Population

Population of Erbil: 1,392,093

Population of Sulaymaniyah: 1,715,585

Population of Dahuk: 954,087

IDP Movement

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by province/governorate

 

 

Province

Current

Historical

Individuals displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced 2003-2005

Families displaced pre-2003

Erbil

55,650

9,275

76

32,737

Dahuk

104,824

18,406

22

22,452

Sulaymaniyah

49,836

8,306

35

50,430

(IOM, Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration, August 2009)

 

With support from a Quick Response Fund grant, the “Kids House,” a school and community center for IDP children in Erbil province, brought necessary equipment and supplies, as the school does not receive the same level of government aid as residential schools. Thus, the quality of educational services is far below other schools in the area. The “Kids House” educates children of all religious backgrounds who have left violence in Baghdad and Mosul. (USDOS, Aug-26)

Food

No New Information

Health

No New Information

Non-Food Items –Shelter

In Sulaymaniyah province, a “Post-War Art and Culture Festival,” sponsored by the Regional Reconstruction Team Erbil, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), British Embassy and local Kahk TC, was held from November 7-9. The event was the first of its kind and was included the presence of KRG Prime Minister Barham Salih, First Lady Hero Ibrahim Ahmed Talabani and many artists and scholars from Iraq, the UK, the US, Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Japan, Nigeria and other countries. (USDOS, Nov-24)

Water & Sanitation

No New Information

Security

No New Information

Other/Comments

A language-training project at the Ainkawa Social Youth Club was launched on November 22 by the members of the Erbil Regional Reconstruction Team and officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government. The purpose of the project is to teach the Kurdish language to residents from the Ainkawa district of Erbil province who are originally from outside Iraq’s Kurdish region and are not able to find employment or participate in local civil life. The program will last six months and teach an estimated 480 adults basic Kurdish speaking, reading and writing. Officials hope the efforts of the initiative will facilitate successful integration of many IDPs in the region into the broader community. (USDOS, Dec-9)

 

At Tamim, Ninawa, Salah ad Din

Coordination

The Provincial Reconstruction Team Kirkuk recently facilitated a meeting between 13 ethnically and politically diverse elections-focused NGOs working in the province. The NGOS discussed their role in the elections process and identified voter education, helping with security and monitoring as main components to hold successful elections. The group agreed to hold a follow-up meeting to discuss lessons learned and best practices. (USDOS, Jan-13)

Population

Population of Mosul: 2,811,091

Population of Kirkuk: 902,019

Population of Tikrit: 1,191,403

IDP Movement

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by Province/Governorate

 

 

Province

Current

Historical

Individuals displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced 2003-2005

Families displaced pre-2003

Kirkuk

52,788

8,798

1,068

184

Ninawa

106,623

19,040

4,625

1,947

Salah ad Din

59,016

9,836

3,006

360

(IOM, Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration, July, September 2009)

 

Due to the growing number of IDPs in Ninawa province, governor Athil al-Nujaifi requested that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) assist Ninawa in dealing with the situation. At a meeting with the head of the UNHCR office in Erbil, Charles Lynch, al-Nujaifi urged UNHCR to take an “active role,” as there are a large number of IDPs from Mosul and tens of thousands from Talafar and other areas along the Kurdistan region. The Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration estimated that 30,000 displaced persons are currently in Ninawa province. (USDOS, Sept-30)

Food

No New Information

Health

Working with the US Army’s 364th Medical Civil Affairs Team, Provincial Reconstruction Team Ninawa held a public-health training session for 55 Iraqi health care professionals focusing on skills and techniques to decrease infant mortality rates in Ninawa province.  Iraqi health professionals were trained in “identifying potential maternal risks, proper delivery techniques and the identification and treatment of childhood disease.” According to statistics, Iraq has a mother/infant mortality rate that is currently nine times higher than the US. (USDOS, Jan-13)

Non-Food Items –Shelter

Thirty-six greenhouses have been completed throughout Ninawa province by the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and local farmers associations. Finishing the greenhouses ends the first phase of a grassroots capacity-building program to purchase and construct greenhouses for Iraqi farmers. The program involves local farmers entering a lottery to have a chance in winning a greenhouse that is funded by the PRT. Winners are trained from the Ministry of Agriculture on the greenhouse farming industry. (USDOS, Jan-6)

Water & Sanitation

An increase in population in Ninawa province has strained on the already taxed system and has left many with little to no access to running water. USDOS reported that eight water pumping stations were either constructed or repaired to provide running water to the rural communities outside Mosul in the province. These pumps will increase water volume capacity to bring water to more villages. The project brought 115 local residents jobs that helped to boost the local economy. (USDOS, July-22)

Security

In At-Tamim province, seven policemen were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded when it hit their patrol in central Kirkuk, 155 miles (250 km) north of Baghdad, on Thursday (Jan-28). South of Kirkuk, a mortar bomb hit a police station, wounding four people, including two policemen, on Thursday. In Tuz Khurmato, 105 miles (170 km) north of Baghdad, two roadside bombs targeting a police patrol wounded two policemen and a civilian on Saturday (Jan-30). In southern Kirkuk, gunmen shot dead a police officer near his house on Wednesday (Feb-3).

 

In Ninawa province on Thursday: police took three people into custody who are suspected to have killed four journalists from an Iraqi television station in 2008 in Mosul, 240 miles (390 km) north of Baghdad. On Friday (Jan-29): two soldiers were wounded when gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint in western Mosul. On Saturday: a suspected militant was killed and four others were arrested in a raid conducted by Iraqi forces backed by US advisors in northwest Mosul. In western Mosul, unknown gunmen killed a housekeeper inside her house. Three suspected insurgents were killed and another was wounded by US soldiers as they were planting roadside bombs near a major road south of Mosul.  On Monday (Feb-1): four people were wounded by a roadside bomb that was planted in a market in Hamdaniya town, 30 miles (40 km) east of Mosul. Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army checkpoint, wounding a civilian in western Mosul. On Tuesday (Feb-2): Iraqi security forces backed by US troops killed a suspected insurgent and arrested two others during a raid southeast of Mosul. In separate incidents in western Mosul, gunmen shot and killed a person inside his house and also killed a driver inside his car. In central Mosul, gunmen threw a hand grenade at a police patrol and wounded three people, including a policeman.   

 

In Salah ad Din province, a suicide bomber with a vest packed with explosives killed at least two people and wounded 23 at a café frequently visited by police and tribal militias in the city of Samarra, 62 miles (100 km) north of Baghdad, on Saturday. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. 

 

(Reuters, Jan 28 – Feb 3) 

 

In Tikrit, the capital city of Salah ad Din province, 95 miles (150 km) north of Baghdad, Iraqi troops surrounded the provincial council building after a dispute between the council and Governor Mutashar Hussain Elaiwi raised the possibility of violence. The row broke out after Elaiwi supported corruption allegations against council head, Ahmed Abdullah Abd. Also, Elaiwi backed charges that Abd used fake educational records, which could ultimately disqualify him from holding office. In retaliation, the council appointed new governor, Khalid Hassan al-Daraji. Elaiwi went to Baghdad to seek help from the federal government to resolve the dispute. According to Maj. Gen. Salah al-Din Rasheed, his troops will stay in place until the crisis is over. (Reuters, Jan-23)

Other/Comments

The city of Mosul recently completed the installation of a Civil Defense Warning System thanks to the Iraq Civil Defense Department with the assistance of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Ninawa. The early warning system is designed to alert residents of Ninawa province of approaching disasters. Efforts with PRT Ninawa started in March 2009 to install eight new sirens, solar panels and an emergency warning system in Mosul. So far, the system has received positive reviews from city officials and its residents. (USDOS, Dec-16)

 

Central/West Regions

Anbar, Diyala, Karbala, Babil, Wasit, Najaf, Qadissiya

Coordination

The Government of Iraq took over responsibility of Camp Baharia and Combat Outpost Castillo from US forces in Anbar province on September 2. Commanding officer of Regimental Combat Team 6 said the transfer of authority was a significant example of the progress the Iraqi Security Forces has made. (USDOS, Sept-9)

Population

Population of Anbar: 1,485,985

Population of Diyala: 1,560,621

Population of Karbala: 887,858

Population of Babil: 1,651,565

Population of Wasit: 1,064,950

Population of Najaf: 1,081,203

Population of Qadissiya: 990,483

IDP Movement

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by Province/Governorate

 

Province

Individuals displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced 2003-2005

Families displaced pre-2003

Anbar

61,548

10,258

4,685

218

Diyala

136,891

21,064

6,691

2,409

Karbala

62,022

10,337

1,328

17,490

Babil

77,197

12,677

821

654

Wasit

77,298

12,883

1,960

70

Najaf

67,056

11,698

160

3,833

Qadissiya

22,998

13,833

932

222

(IOM, Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration, July-September 2009)

 

A reconciliation conference was held in Baquba on January 13 and was attended by several hundred individuals, including the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Diyala, and tribal sheikhs from the region. During the conference, the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s National Reconciliation Committee on the sheikhs was called to establish their own Tribal Reconciliation Committee focused on the return of IDPs. An agreement was also made from a committee focused on settling tribal and land disputes, and the creation of a judicial committee to address the issue of individuals detained on terrorism charges. (USDOS, Jan-27)

Food

Outside of al-Ahrar in Wasit province, a community outreach and reconciliation Iftar was held in a small farming town. The provinces’ PRT participated in the event, which was designed to include the less advantaged. The dinner took place in a humble setting by a canal which carries an inadequate water supply. Additionally, backpacks and school supplies were given out to local children during the event. (USDOS, Sept-30)

Health

In Qadissiya province, Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Diwaniyah teamed up with local provincial leaders to celebrate the opening of a primary healthcare center on January 3 located in al-Noor village. The state-of-the-art facility cost an approximately US$450,000 and is expected to provide healthcare to more than 10,000 Iraqis living in the village. This new center is one of nine health clinics that have been built in Diwaniyah. Its capability includes basic medical care and advanced diagnostic and monitoring capabilities for acute and chronic illnesses. (USDOS, Jan-20)

Non-Food Items –Shelter

In Wasit province, the Al-Kut Police Training Center graduated 100 oil and 20 national information and investigation police from a basic recruit class on November 25. The training program emphasized policing that considers ethics, human rights, diversity awareness and gender issues. The Center is a vital link in Iraq’s efforts to build a capable and professional defense force. (MNF-I, Nov-30)

Water & Sanitation

In Babil province, the severe drought is causing major issues for residents and officials. The Provincial Council has filed a lawsuit against the Water Resources Ministry for unfair division of resources. Making matters worse, a number of bottling plants have been shut down in the region due to health reasons. So far, Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Babil has eased the shortage by delivering seven potable water tanker trucks as a part of its anti-cholera campaign. The PRT has also provided the installation of 10,000-liter plastic water tanks and solar-powered water purification units in rural villages throughout the province. (USDOS, Sept-16)

Security

In Anbar province, a militant was killed by the roadside bomb he was trying to plant in eastern Falluja, 32 miles (50 km) west of Baghdad, on Sunday (Jan-31). In the town of Garma, 20 miles (30 km) northwest of Baghdad, a roadside bomb injured five policemen on Tuesday (Feb-2).

 

In Karbala province, 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Baghdad, a bomb fixed to a military vehicle killed three people and wounded 21 others in the east of the city on Tuesday. At least 20 Shi’ite pilgrims were killed and 110 others wounded when a bomb planted in a cart pulled by a motorcycle exploded on Wednesday (Feb-3) in Karbala.

 

(Reuters, Jan 28 – Feb 3)

Other/Comments

In Qadissiyah province, members of a local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) sponsored a program to train widows in sewing and business entrepreneurship to bolster their economic independence.  Local NGO, Iraq Women Foundation for Diwaniyah, implemented the program that is expected to last four months in order to accommodate 40 widows. The training helps widows from the Iraq war maintain financial self-sufficiency, teach participants how to make clothes and start their own small tailoring shops. (USDOS, Dec-2)

Baghdad

Baghdad

Coordination

On August 23, US forces transferred authority of the new Iraqi Air Force Headquarters Complex to the Iraqi Air Force (IAF). The new name of the headquarters complex is called “Hawk Base” and is located near the new Al-Muthanna Air Base at the Baghdad International Airport. Currently, there are more than 2,100 IAF members and the new complex will house more than 270 IAF personnel. (USDOS, Sept-2)

Control over Joint Security Station (JSS) Zubaida, located south of Baghdad was transferred to the Iraq Security Forces (ISF) from US Forces on August 10. Two homes and a few acres of land were given back to the previous civilian owners, but the majority of JSS Zubaida is still under ISF control. (USDOS, Aug-19)

Population

Population: 7,145,470

IDP Movement

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by Province/Governorate

 

Current

Historical

 

Province

 Individuals displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced 2003-2005

Families displaced pre-2003

Baghdad

602,022

100,337

1,586

2,281

(IOM, Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration, July 2009)

Food

No New Information

Health

No New Information

Non-Food Items –Shelter

In its first phase of a US$10 billion plan to rebuild Sadr City slum, Baghdad asked foreign companies on Thursday (Jan-21) to sign up for a project to design and build 75,000 apartments. The projects will span 22 sq miles (56 sq km) to be constructed over 10 years, and will include 150,000 apartments, stores, service buildings, a medical complex, a university and entertainment center. Baghdad has hired British-based architects, Broadway Maylan, for the Sadr city project. (Reuters, Jan-21)

Security

On Thursday (Jan-28), during joint security operations, Iraqi security forces with US advisors arrested seven people, including two al-Qaeda Iraq members. A Sunni Imam was shot by unknown gunmen as he was leaving a mosque in western Baghdad. In southern Baghdad, gunmen shot and wounded a policeman.

 

On Friday (Jan-29), a roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol exploded in northern Baghdad, wounding four soldiers. 

 

On Saturday (Jan-30), a militant threw a grenade at Shi’ite pilgrims in Baghdad’s southern district of Saidiya, killing one pilgrim and wounding two others. In Baghdad’s southern district of Doura, gunfire injured two pilgrims. In western Baghdad, a roadside bomb seriously wounded a justice ministry official.

 

On Sunday (Jan-31), four people were wounded in al-Nusoor Square when a militant threw a hand grenade at Shi’ite pilgrims in central Baghdad. In eastern Baghdad, two pilgrims were wounded by a roadside bomb in Zayouna district. In Mashtal district, another roadside bomb wounded three pilgrims.

 

On Monday (Feb-1), at least 41 people were killed and 106 wounded when a female suicide bomber blew herself up among Shi’ite pilgrims making the trek to Karbala for the religious rite of Arbaine. In southern Baghdad, a roadside bomb wounded 12 Shi’ite pilgrims.   

 

On Tuesday (Feb-2), a roadside bomb exploded in the Zaafaraniya district of southeastern Baghdad, wounding three Shi’ite pilgrims. A bomb fixed to a car wounded a policeman in the town of Taji, 12 miles (20 km) north of Baghdad.   

 

On Wednesday (Feb-3), a bomb targeting Shi’ite pilgrims killed one pilgrim and wounded three others in western Baghdad. In the Amil district of southwest Baghdad, a roadside bomb injured three people.

 

(Reuters, Jan 28 – Feb 3)

Water & Sanitation

At a US military base near Baghdad, Camp Taji, US bomb disposal experts are training Iraqis to take over once they leave at the end of 2011. Reuters reported on Sunday (Oct-11) that four Iraqi army staff had received training this week from a US explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team. (Reuters, Oct-11)

Other/Comments

No New Information

South Region

Basrah

Coordination

 

The US military on Wednesday (Sept-16) closed Camp Bucca, a prison that was once it’s largest in Iraq, according to the Associated Press (AP). The isolated Camp Bucca is located in Basrah province, just north of the Kuwaiti border, and has held thousands of prisoners over the years. The estimated 180 remaining detainees were to be transferred to either Camp Taji or Camp Cropper located outside of Baghdad, which are the US military’s remaining detention facilities. The US military is trying to empty its detention facilities following an implication set in the security pact that came into effect in January. It requires them to either transfer detainees to Iraqi custody for prosecution or release them. Around 5,600 detainees since January have been freed due to a lack of evidence, and the military’s unwillingness to compromise intelligence sources by bringing them forward as witnesses. Around 1,400 have been handed over to the Iraqis, while the US military holds some 8,400 prisoners. Camp Bucca was the target of abuse allegations from detainees and rights groups that said that detainees were held for years without charge and was also the site of several riots. The closing of Bucca is a step towards shutting down a detention system that was tainted by the Abu Ghraib scandal. Taji is scheduled to be turned over to Iraqi control on January 10 and Cropper will be the last detention facility handed over to the Iraqis in August 2010. (AP, Sept-16)

Population

Population of Basrah: 1,912,533

IDP Movement

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by Province/Governorate

 

Current

Historical

 

Province

 Individuals displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced 2003-2005

Families displaced pre-2003

Basrah

41,808

6,968

284

15,494

(IOM, Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration, September 2009)

Food

In Basrah province, US soldiers from the 17th Fires Brigade and the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team along with their Iraqi counterparts distributed food and supplies to residents of Faddaqhryah and Bahar on August 18. According to Army Lt. Col. Ross C. Scott, 17th Fires Brigade civil affairs officer, the Iraqi army delivered more than 400 packages at an estimated cost of US$90,000. The handed out packages are able to feed a family of eight for 30 days. The humanitarian mission by the US soldiers was held to help the Iraqi army provide much needed humanitarian assistance and lay the groundwork for a sustained and healthy relationship between Iraq’s soldiers and its people, Scott told the American Forces Press Service.  (AFPS, Aug-24)

Health

No New Information

Non-Food Items –Shelter

As part of a small business development in Basrah province, more than US$97,000 in micro-grants were presented to 30 entrepreneurs. The grants, awarded following participation in a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT)-led mentoring program, will help fund new businesses and improve those already up and running. According to the PRT economic team lead, the effort’s goal was rapid business development. The awardees went through a screening process to check sustainability and capital requirements, while business owners were taught cost analysis, how to develop a business plan and establish benchmarks. (USDOS, Nov-4)

Water & Sanitation

The Basrah Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) held the grand opening for a potable-water distribution site that is now operational for authorized tankers to fill up and distribute drinking water across the province. Output to the new site is close to 10 million liters per day. The PRT is now exploring the idea of increasing water distribution to the Umm Qasr port within the next year. Basrah province has coped with an acute water shortage for months due to severe drought in Iraq and a reduced water flow from upstream sources of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. (USDOS, Oct-28)

Security

No New Information

Other/Comments

In Basrah province, the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) delivered manual and electric sewing machines to the Basrah Deaf and Mute Society, which trains young women to sew and create hand-made crafts. (USDOS, Sept-30)

 


Muthanna, Dhi Qar, Maysan

Coordination

No New Information

Population

Population of Muthanna: 614,997

Population of Dhi Qar: 1,616,226

Population of Maysan (Missan): 824,147

IDP Movement

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by Province/Governorate

 

 

Province

Current

Historical

Individuals displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced

after Feb 2006

Families displaced 2003-2005

Families displaced pre-2003

Muthanna

20,787

2,794

437

424

Dhi Qar

46,314

7,719

3,569

      657

Maysan

49,776

7,269

406

18,465

(IOM, Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration, September 2009)

Food

The Iraqi government had ordered the renovations for the Amarah grain storage facility and flour mill in Maysan province recently, which had not been operational since 1976. Members of the Maysan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) visited the facility and asked if it could help rebuild loading ramps and provide belts for grain unloading vacuums. Over the years, grain production in Maysan had drastically decreased and now, most wheat consumed in the area is imported. (USDOS, Oct-7)

Health

The Maysan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) coordinated a “Train the Trainer” exercise as an effort to bring specialized medical training to Maysani doctors, nurses and healthcare administrators. Held at the request of the Maysan Department of Health and the al-Sadr Surgical Hospital, attendees participated in trauma and critical care sessions taught by US medical staff. There has been high demand for the training, and Iraqi healthcare providers are requesting additional instruction. (USDOS, Oct-28)

Non-Food Items –Shelter

The new Al Jarbo’eya Family Park in the city of Samawah was opened on January 17 with the help of Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Muthanna. The new establishment is able to accommodate up to 1,000 of the neighborhood children and was built through the collaborative efforts of the PRT, a Community Action Group and the municipal government. Part of the funding came from USAID, while the municipal government supplied 70 percent of the resources required to build the park and has set aside more funding for its maintenance. (USDOS, Jan-27)

Water & Sanitation

In Maysan province, over 20,000 Qalat Salah residents now have greater access to clean water thanks to a partnership between the Maysan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and the Maysan provincial government. The US$300,000 project refurbished two water compact units to allow for better quality and availability of water. Prior to the project, the units were operating at 50 percent, but now are 100 percent functional. (USDOS, Nov-12)

Security

No New Information

Other/Comments

The Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Dhi Qar hosted a Rule of Law Conference on January 7 at their Mittica Training Center to discuss issues such as the role of the police, investigations, obstacles to rule of law efforts and the relationship between the judiciary and police. Participants of the events identified insufficient funding and a weak information-sharing mechanism as the biggest obstacles to establishing effective rule of law in the province. The attendees - local representatives from the judiciary, police and the Human Rights Office – agreed to have similar coordinating meetings on a monthly basis. (USDOS, Jan-20)

 

 

Neighboring Countries’ Humanitarian Activities/Preparations

 

Jordan

 

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) established a representation office in Amman, Jordan for arranging and supervising the voting process for an estimated 500,000 Iraqis living in Iraq’s neighboring country, the Deutsche Press-Agentur (DPA) reported government officials as saying on Friday (January-29). Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh met with Jordanian Interior Minister Nayef Qadi to talk about measures taken by the Jordanian authorities to make sure a smooth polling process for Iraqis in Jordan. The agreement involved eight polling stations in the cities of Amman, Zarqa and Irabid for Iraqis. (DPA, January-29)

 

An estimated 2.4 million Palestinian and Iraqi refugees are currently residing in Jordan, which has put an added burden on the country’s economy and social structure, according to UN estimates. The Norwegian Institute for Applied Social Sciences in 2007 conducted a study that estimated the number of Iraqi refugees in Jordan as 450,000 to 500,000. The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Suhair al-Ali, also noted that the Jordanian treasury endured a burden of US$2 billion dollars in terms of infrastructure and services due to the influx of Iraqi refugees between 2005 and 2008. Due to the crumbling security situation in Iraq, the Jordanian government and the UNHCR teamed up to create solutions for Iraq and other refugees who fled to Jordan. (DPA, December-9)

 

Iran

 

On Wednesday (January-27), a small contingent of Iranian troops fully withdrew from an area near Fakka oilfield, an inactive oil well in Iraq’s southeastern Maysan province, according to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. The ministry said in a statement that both Iraq and Iran’s foreign ministers agreed to maintain friendly relations and pull out all military forces in the area to their original positions, displaying a common goal of enhancing bilateral relations.  In mid-December, a dozen Iranian soldiers crossed into Iraqi territory and raised the Iranian flag over the well, triggering protests from Baghdad and concerns from world oil markets. (Reuters, January-27)

 

Turkey

 

On Friday (November-13), Turkey unveiled plans to expand the rights of its Kurdish population, which are seen as boosting the country’s hopes of joining the European Union (EU), and ending a 25-year old conflict with the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) rebels that has killed over 40,000 people, Reuters reported. Reforms include the creation of an independent body to investigate cases of torture and loosening the restrictions on the Kurdish language. Additionally, the reforms are designed to encourage PKK rebels to disband, as they are seen as a terrorist group by Ankara, the US and the EU. Displaying resistance the reform process faces in parliament, the main opposition party, Republican People’s Party (CHP), walked out of the chamber when Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan accused opponents of not wanting the conflict to end. (Reuters, November-13)

 

Kuwait

 

According to Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Salem al-Sabah, his country is concerned of a rise in militant attacks and sectarian tensions in Iraq that could create a new security threat for the Gulf Arab oil producer. Al-Sabah was quoted by Reuters as saying, “I’m worried about the collapse of the security system in Iraq, which could drive many Iraqis to seek refuge in Kuwait.” He focused on the numerous large-scale bombings across Iraq, and expressed his fears of sectarian conflict, terrorism, and al-Qaeda groups spreading into his country. Kuwait has been largely successful in abating violence by Islamist militants. Last year, they defeated an al-Qaeda linked plan to bomb a US army camp and an oil refinery in the OPEC oil exporting state.   (Reuters, January-17)

 

Syria

 

On Monday (February-1), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) closed the Al Tanf refugee camp, located between the borders of Syria and Iraq, moving the last of the Palestinian refugees temporarily to a refugee camp inside Syria, Al Hol,  UNHCR reported. The UN refugee agency had been working in cooperation with Syrian authorities to allow the relocation of 60 camp residents. Al Tanf was supposed to be a temporary stay, but the refugees ended up staying almost four years, and endured harsh desert conditions. UNHCR and its partners have provided relief and have been proactive in finding humanitarian solutions for refugees in hopes of giving them a new start at life. Although Syria’s Al Hol camp is slightly better than Al Tanf camp, circumstances are not sustainable and a solution is needed to help over 600 Palestinians from Iraq now living there, according to UNHCR. (UNHCR, February-1)

 

Saudi Arabia

 

On May-28, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Iraq has no intention of making new goodwill gestures towards Saudi Arabia as Maliki’s efforts have been called a sign of weakness by Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. Bilateral ties between the two countries have been strained since the US-led invasion in 2003 and continue to decline. Al-Maliki’s Shi’ite-led government accuses Riyadh of not taking enough action to prevent its citizens from crossing the border to join the mainly Sunni insurgency. The Agence France-Presse quoted al-Maliki as saying, “There will be no other initiatives on our part as long as there is no sign from Saudi Arabia that it wants to have good ties with Baghdad.” During an April 25 visit to Baghdad, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed

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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 PDMIN@coe-dmha.org

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