HUMANITARIAN/RECONSTRUCTION SITUATION REPORT #1 24

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 KUWAIT 001062

SIPDIS

STATE ALSO PASS USAID/W
STATE FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE, NEA/NGA, IO AND SA/PAB
NSC FOR JDWORKEN, HMANN, ZKHALILZAD, QUANRUD AND BRYZA
USAID FOR USAID/A, DCHA/AA, DCHA/RMT, DCHA/FFP
USAID FOR DCHA/OTI, DCHA/DG, ANE/AA
USAID FOR USAID/AA:NATSIOS
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA:WGARVELINK, BMCCONNELL, KFARNSWORTH
USAID FOR ANE/AA:WCHAMBERLAIN
ROME FOR FODAG
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH
DOHA FOR MSHIRLEY
ANKARA FOR AMB WRPEARSON, ECON AJSIROTIC AND DART
AMMAN FOR USAID AND DART

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF MOPS PREL ASEC AMGT OTRA IZ WFP
SUBJECT: HUMANITARIAN/RECONSTRUCTION SITUATION REPORT #1 24
MARCH 2003

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. This is the initial USG Disaster Assistance Response
Team (DART) daily cable that will report on the humanitarian
situation within Iraq from Kuwait City. End Summary.

--------------
DART ARRIVALS
--------------


2. Team West is fully constituted with the arrival of
NGaertner and JAcree. On 22 March the following DART
members arrived in Kuwait: SHodgson, JPonte, CGarrett,
SBrown, and JGeran.

--------------
FOOD
--------------


3. There are several outstanding issues concerning the
Australian contribution of 100,000 metric tons (MT) of
wheat. A shipment of 50,000 MT was diverted to Muscat,
Oman. The second half of the shipment arrived in Muscat on
24 March. The Government of Australia is discussing the
possibility of donating the 100,000 MT to the World Food
Program (WFP) once the emergency operation (EMOP) is issued.
Ongoing negotiations between Canberra and WFP continue over
support costs, estimated at between 15 and 25 million USD.


4. There is significant interest in having the USG's
financial support in this first shipment of wheat. The
USG's role will be to contribute the missing support costs
and secure the double billing (US-Australia) of this
donation. The arrival of these two wheat shipments, and the
enormous interest in the Persian Gulf region to demonstrate
that an efficient process is in place to move incoming food
quickly into Iraq, will accelerate the timetable for gaining
humanitarian access.

--------------
OFFICE OF TRANSITION INITIATIVES (OTI)
--------------


5. Radio Sawa is operational on the AM band and will
eventually switch to the FM band. Reporting stringers and
radio specialists have been identified to highlight the
USG's overall humanitarian efforts within Iraq. OTI
officers briefed DART/Kuwait staff on the role of Abuse
Prevention Officers (APOs) on 23 March.


6. On 22 March, the DART APOs met with representatives of
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) in Kuwait City. Several
weeks of coordination and collaboration with representatives
of both organizations had taken place in Washington, D.C.
prior to the APOs' deployment. ICRC and PHR representatives
stressed their support of the DART's Abuse Prevention
strategy and intend to work closely with APOs in Iraq.
Close coordination also continues between the DART and the
Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA)
in order to develop plans for preventing, deterring, and
responding to human rights abuses within Iraq. Another
coordination meeting with NGOs AND ORHA is being scheduled
for the week of 23 march. The APOs are also actively
engaging with U.S military Civil Affairs units and are
arranging a meeting with Generals Garner and Kern to discuss
their initiatives.

--------------
REFUGEES
--------------


7. There are no significant refugee flows out of Iraq to
date; however, more than 400 third country nationals (TCNS)
have crossed into Jordan. The International Organization
for Migration facilitated the repatriation of 160 Sudanese
TCNS on 21 March, and an additional 160 Sudanese were
expected to return to Sudan on 22 March.

--------------
MILITARY LIASION UNIT
--------------


8. Approximately 70 people, including Coalition Forces Land
Component Command (CFLCC) Civil Affairs Officers and
representatives from the United Nations, international
organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
attended the Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) briefing
on 22 March. The following information was provided at the
briefing: there have been no major population movements
around Basra; UNSECOORD is weighing the possibility of going
to Phase 5 due to potential chemical threats from Iraqi
surface-to-surface missiles; the missile threat has been
reduced following forward ground movements deeper into Iraq.


9. The CFLCC C9 Commander stated that Maneuver Commanders
will make the decision to allow DART teams into permissive
environments within their AOR. He also had no problems
allowing DART to work with Maneuver CA elements doing damage
assessments.


10. The Liaison Officer from the 354 CA HQ plans to locate
at the DART Hotel location after the last serial leaves. A
CA Liaison Officer will be embedded with the DART staff to
facilitate information, coordination, and movement forward
with CA elements throughout Iraq.


11. According to Military Liaison Officer (MLO) reports, the
Kuwaiti Red Crescent was prevented from crossing into Iraq
on 22 March. ICRC agreed with the order, stating that it
was the role of ICRC and not the Kuwaiti chapter.


12. The Dart/Kuwait MLO will facilitate with the marine
expeditionary force (MEF) and the U.K. third Commando on
DART movement into Umm Qasr when the Dart Leader is
satisfied that security has been established at the port.

--------------
CIVIL AFFAIRS ASSESSMENT OF UMM QASR/SAFWAN
--------------


13. Civil Affairs assessment teams conducted a rapid
assessment of the Port of Umm Qasr between 19 March and 22
March. The loading cranes have been maintained and are
functioning. There was also a functioning fire truck in
excellent condition among more than 20 civilian vehicles,
indicating the potential for vehicle maintenance.


14. The port facility comprised multiple buildings and
warehouses, all containing civilian vehicles. Reports
indicated that the port was fully functional, by Iraqi
standards. The local commander stated that the port
contained sea mines, but was unaware of any land mines.
However, one land mine was visible in the field outside of
the base.


15. The port contains countless standard-sized containers,
both on rails and on the ground. No equipment to manage and
move this equipment was noted. There were also blue cranes,
three in one frame, approximately 100 plus feet high, as
well as several stationary cranes, approximately 50 plus
feet high. The main high power lines, running west from the
port to Safwan, appear intact. These high power lines are 3
levels high.


16. Outside of Umm Qasr towards Safwan, several homes were
visible from the road. The homes were inhabited by poor
Bedouins prior to the assault, and the local people are
reported to have begun returning.


17. As of 1100 hours 23 March, the road to Safwan from Umm
Qasr was completely intact. The Gas Oil Separation Plant
along the route also appeared intact, as did the homes in
and around Safwan. The people of Safwan appeared healthy,
although extremely poor. No internally displaced persons
were seen.


18. No additional humanitarian assessment information is
available.

--------------
ANE - RECONSTRUCTION
--------------


19. On March 23, Ambassador Jones introduced ORHA Director
Garner, Relief Coordinator George Ward, and USAID's Lewis
Lucke to high-ranking Kuwaiti officials from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and the Kuwait Fund FOR ARAB ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT to describe the USG's plans for relief and
reconstruction in Iraq. The Kuwaiti officials described
their own process of economic recovery after the 1991
liberation and spoke of the importance of economic sector
reform in Iraq. Kuwait may prove an early source of
investment for post-conflict Iraq.


20. Responsibility for leads in Iraqi Ministries has been
re-delegated by ORHA on instructions from the Department of
Defense (DOD). The inter-agency process had previously
assigned responsibility for Iraqi Ministries among various
U.S. Departments and Agencies. USAID was tasked for the
lead for the Ministries of Planning, Transport and
Communication, Agriculture, Education, Health, Housing and
Construction, Labor and Social Affairs, Irrigation and the
Electricity Commission. Under the new ORHA plans,
individuals are recruited from various agencies,
predominantly State and DOD, to serve as the senior
Ministerial liaisons. This group will include five
Ambassadors. These individuals will report to the
appropriate ORHA function coordinator, either Lewis Lucke or
Michael Mobbs. The liaisons reporting to Lewis Lucke are as
follows: a) Planning - Ambassador Dave Dunford-Robert
MacLeod/USAID to serve as interim; b)Transportation and
Communication - Dick Beard/State - Mike Moskowitz/DOD to
serve as interim; c) Finance - David Nummy/Treasury; d)
Agriculture - Lee Schatz/USDA; e) Education - USAID
Contractor - Dorothy Mazaka/USAID to serve as interim; f)
Health - Skip Burkle, USAID; g) Housing and Construction -
TBD - Mark Held/COE to serve as interim; h) Labor and Social
Affairs - TBD - Karen Walsh/USAID to serve as interim; i)
Irrigation - TBD - Stephen Browning/COE to serve as interim;
j) Central Bank - George Mullinax/Treasury; k) Electricity
Commission - TBD - Andy Bachus/COE to serve as interim.

JONES