Summary
Content
Bulletin No 19
as of 03 July 2003
In addition sector/country specific reports are released regularly in order to provide in-depth coverage of priority areas.
Contact details for all UNJLC offices are available on the UNJLC website.
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CONTENTS
WFP achieved a new record in June by delivering 758,128MT of food aid into Iraq during the month. The Iraqi Assistance Centre (IAC) has advised that all humanitarian aid convoys entering into Iraq will now have to notify the IAC of their intentions 96 hours in advance. In the South, at the Abdaly/Safwan border with Kuwait, there are reports of an increasing number of attacks against humanitarian and commercial trucks The 4 lane detour route around the Rutbah bridge in Iraq on highway 10 towards the Jordanian border was completed on the 30th of June. A shortage of diesel emerged across Iraq during the last week of June following a general post-war surplus of the fuel. 1.1 AMMAN – TREBIL – BAGHDAD CORRIDOR Highway 10 runs East/West between Amman, Jordan and Baghdad, Iraq and crosses countries at the Al-Karamah/Trebil border crossing point. There have been significant changes on the Iraqi side (Trebil crossing) of the Jordanian/Iraqi border over the past week. Approximately 150 Iraqi border officials have arrived to take over the border control functions from the Coalition forces. It is likely that this handover will cause delays for the next 2-3 weeks as responsibilities are shifted. Various initiatives organised by WFP and UNJLC to clearly sign and mark the routes for humanitarian traffic in the border crossing area are underway and will further ease any current congestion. UNJLC now has two staff at the border helping with the humanitarian lane and conduction liaison and troubleshooting. The 4 lane detour route around the Rutbah bridge in Iraq on highway 10 towards the Jordanian border was completed on the 30th of June. Bechtel will be signing the work order to repair the bridge by mid July and the repairs are expected to be completed within 4 months. Security still remains a concern between Al Fallujah and Baghdad. 2. SECURITYIraq: Baghdad: Security phase 4. The security situation in Baghdad is deteriorating. During one 48 hour period (30/6-1/7) there were 14 recorded security incidents recorded in the Baghdad area, some involving fatalities. UNSECOORD is advising against travel along the Baghdad – Bayji – Mosul highway due to security concerns. Mosul: Security phase 4. On the 26th of June, a scuffle broke out between civilians and the coalition forces at an LPG distribution, resulting in 3 US soldiers and 7 civilians being injured. Although the exact details are not known, it appears that a mixture of long queues and warm temperatures caused the civilians to become agitated. On the 1st July, a chemical (sulphur) fire broke out near Mosul caused by a rocket attack on a chemical storage plant resulting in widespread air pollution. It was reported that 4,000 people fled the Makhmour area to Erbil to escape the fumes. Missions to Mosul were temporarily suspended. Al Hillah: Security phase 4. During the reporting period the Coalition has been attacked a number of times on the roads between Al Hillah and Baghdad. UNSECOORD has temporarily restricted travel on this highway. Jordan: The country has been downgraded to security phase 1. Kuwait: The country remains at security phase 1. A complete daily listing of security incidents can be found in the "latest press releases" section of the www.centcom.mil. 3. AIR OPERATIONSThe Iraqi Assistance Centre (IAC) has announced that Coalition troops will no longer be available to load/unload cargo at Baghdad cargo terminal. From now on, all organisations must provide their own cargo handlers. In addition, the USAF will no longer transport NGO personnel into and within Iraq. For further information on either of these points, contact Capt Sellers on +1 914 360 9321. Erbil airport was officially handed over to local authorities during a ceremony on the 1st July. An airport commission will now oversee the development of a working, commercial airport. UNHAS has compiled a list of NGOs that are registered to use UNHAS services in Iraq. Priority will be given to NGOs that are UN implementing partners. Bechtel is installing a 6.5MW generator at Baghdad International Airport to ensure continuous power supplies. Due to a high number of requests for information, UNHAS Mosul has requested procedures specific to Mosul to be posted on the UNJLC website. This information will be available shortly. 4. BORDER CROSSING AND CUSTOMSThe Iraqi Assistance Centre (IAC) have advised that all humanitarian aid convoys entering into Iraq will now have to notify the IAC of their intentions 96 hours in advance to allow border personnel to be informed. This can be done via an email to iac_convoy@yahoo.com. A delegation of UK customs officials have arrived in Iraq and will make a country survey of all border crossing points facilitated by the CPA. UNJLC is liaising with the UK officials and will publish material on the UNJLC website as soon as it is declared publicly available. In the South, at the Abdaly/Safwan border with Kuwait, there are reports of an increasing number of attacks against humanitarian and commercial trucks by mobs who collect at the border crossing point. Military forces have erected barb wire fences for a distance of 200 metres into Iraq so that the trucks will be protected at low speeds when they are most vulnerable. Despite the security concerns at the Southern border, approximately 1,000 trucks per day are entering Iraq with no significant delay (provided they have the correct documentation – waybills, passports, driver ID etc). The Kuwaiti authorities have indicated that they may open a second lane at the border for trucks only (both commercial and humanitarian). The Abdaly/Safwan border is open 24 hours a day for trucks crossing into Kuwait, but only from 04:30 to 18:30 for traffic crossing into Iraq. Since Cotecna's withdrawal from Iraq on the 17th of March, 2003, the company has setup 5 operational bases in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, UAE and Kuwait. It is anticipated Cotecna staff will return to locations within Iraq including Umm Qasr, Al Walid and Trebil to authenticate the arrival of goods prioritised for delivery to Iraq pursuant to the Security Council resolution 1483. Suppliers should note that only consignments prioritized for delivery may be inspected and authenticated by Cotecna. Suppliers should not make arrangements to deliver goods unless specifically instructed to do so by a UN agency, otherwise they will not be eligible to receive payment from the United Nations Iraq account. A border crossing map is available at http://www.unjlc.org/iraq/border/01_01.html 5. TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURENothing to Report Umm Qasr is now fully ready for commercial traffic and has handled two commercial vessels within the last week in addition to the steady flow of humanitarian cargo arriving mainly through WFP. During the period between the 20th and 30th of June alone, six ships carrying about 90,000 tons of WFP food berthed at the port. As a result of security issues, SSA Marine has hired an international security company (OLIVE) who are now deployed in the port and are reported to have almost completely stopped the incidents of looting in the port. A customs team is now operational in the port and tasked with verifying that all cargoes discharged are properly manifested. They will also be checking for contraband cargo. Over the next few weeks a delegation of customs officials from Dubai will be in Umm Qasr to provide training local customs officials. Work is continuing on dredging and Barwill reports that power is now available for the container cranes and will be supplied to other parts of the port, possibly this week. 6. LOGISTICS COORDINATIONWFP achieved a new record in June by delivering 758,128MT of food aid into Iraq. WFP and UNICEF in Basrah are in the process of shifting their truck operations from Kuwaiti to Iraqi contractors. This is hoped to improve the security situation for the convoys as well as creating local employment. 7. CIVIL-MILITARY COORDINATIONIn Erbil, UNJLC met with WFP/ICT team (FITTEST) and Civil Military Operations Centre (CMOC) on the 2nd of July to discuss Medevac procedures. While a letter of understanding (LoU) has still to be signed, provisional procedures have been drafted and a UN staff member was successfully evacuated earlier in the week. 8. FUELA shortage of diesel emerged across Iraq during the last week of June following a general post-war surplus of the fuel. The reasons are mixed but include greatly increased demand for offline power generation and ice manufacture as a result of the crisis in the national power grid, and a high level of export smuggling. Domestic supplies were substantially reduced by power-related disruption to refinery operations. The combination of simultaneous reduced supply and increased demand has led to a sudden deterioration. Gasoline production has fallen from slightly more than half of national demand to about 35% for similar reasons: stability of electrical power to refineries. Average imports of 7.5 million litres per day now account for 60% of the national supply. This is still about 2 million litres short of estimated national requirements. LPG production has also been badly affected by power problems, particularly at the country's only functioning major gas plant in Kirkuk and, to a lesser extent, at refineries. Despite average imports of about 1,000 tonnes per day, supply is perhaps less than a third of demand. The commencement of production from the country's second major gas plant in the south during July, and increased imports, may ease the situation if these supplies can be distributed effectively. Significantly, crude exports commenced on June 28th through Mina Al-Bakr in the Arabian Gulf, initially from crude held in storage. This will allow greater southern production, with consequent greater LPG production. UNJLC, in its augmentation role to UNOPS and in co-ordination with other UN agencies, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and the Office of the Coalition Provisional Authority, has greatly increased its efforts – with some early success - to facilitate imports of badly needed oil industry supplies and equipment purchased under the Oil-for-Food Programme. Power generators for refineries are essential to reduce dependency on the power grid. For the complete version of the UNJLC weekly fuel bulletin see the website. For Fuel availability in Iraq please see the website. 9. OTHERUNHAS/UNJLC contact information. Passenger Bookings: Saba Jamil and Bartholemou Dias Regional Air Coordinator: Paul Steiner Air Cargo: Kjersti Bang UNJLC Kuwait Office and Liaison Officer OCPA Air Authorities: Keith Chapman. |
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