MAYSAN PROVINCE: AVIAN INFLUENZA, FLOODING AND AGRICULTURAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000022

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU AMED EAID ECON EAGR PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: MAYSAN PROVINCE: AVIAN INFLUENZA, FLOODING AND AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR WORKING GROUP

REF: (A) BASRAH 006 (B) BAGHDAD 254 (C) BAGHDAD 400


1. Summary: Information from the Danish Embassy Office and the
UN indicates that there are confirmed cases of H5N1 in birds in
Maysan province. There is currently no evidence that it has
affected humans, but there are six suspicious cases (including
one death) still awaiting test results. Recent flooding in the
province has been brought under control, and the Maysan
Agricultural Sector Working Group held its first meeting on
February 18. End Summary.

AVIAN INFLUENZA
--------------

2. On February 18, the Agricultural Advisor (AgAd) from the
Danish Embassy Office in Basrah attended the Agricultural Sector
Working Group meeting at Camp Abu Naji in Maysan province. The
AgAd was unable to discuss the recent outbreak of avian
influenza (AI) in detail with his Iraqi counterparts but did
broach the issue with a British sergeant at Abu Naji. The AgAd
told poloff that there were confirmed cases of the H5N1 strain
in Maysan in birds. He cited the case of two domesticated
pigeons that had the disease and confirmed that their owner that
has died. The information he received indicated that the owner
of the birds did not die from AI.


3. The AgAd told poloff that information was circulating that
Baghdad has provided a US$20 million compensation scheme for
farmers who must kill their birds. He said that the local
government would pay US$3 per chicken and US$1.50 per pigeon
brought to the veterinary clinic to be disposed of. The AgAd
told poloff that he was worried about the way the compensation
scheme would be carried out. He said that once people found out
about the monetary compensation, killing birds and bringing them
to the veterinary clinic would be seen by some as a business
venture or opportunity. And the reward plan to bring dead and
possibly infected birds to the veterinary clinic would increase
the spread of contamination. The AgAd was told that the
residents in the province were panicking about the discovery of
H5N1, but the local government was working to take control of
the situation and ease fears.


4. On February 19, poloff spoke with the UN Coordinator who met
with local staff of the World Health Organization (WHO) in
Basrah regarding the WHO visit to Maysan province on February

16. The UN Coordinator said that there has been one suspicious
death (the owner of the domesticated pigeons mentioned above),
and there are currently five suspicious cases. All cases are
awaiting results from blood tests. Therefore, there is
currently no evidence of H5N1 in humans in Maysan although
results of the tests are still pending. If the tests come back
positive it will add to the growing concern in Iraq regarding AI
(See Refs). The UN representative said that WHO would provide
training in all four southern provinces to medical, laboratory
and veterinary staff regarding AI and how to handle cases. WHO
will also provide masks, suits, boots and Tamiflu to the four
provinces.

FLOODING
--------------

5. The Danish AgAd was told that the flooding that occurred in
the southern part of Maysan and northern part of Basrah in the
past two weeks has been brought under control. The majority of
the flooding occurred in the marsh areas of the two provinces.
The Maysan Provincial Council has been tied up in crisis
management of the AI outbreak and flooding for the past two
weeks. The Maysan PRDC, scheduled for February 16, was
cancelled so that the local government could focus its attention
on these matters.

AGRICULTURAL SECTOR WORKING GROUP
-------------- --------------

6. The purpose of the Danish AgAd's visit to Maysan was to
attend the first Agricultural Sector Working Group meeting for
the province. The AgAd had been in constant contact with the
Director of Agriculture (DA) in Maysan for a week before the
trip. Despite the boycott against the Danish Government in
Basrah province, the DA told the AgAd that he would only attend
the meeting if the AgAd were there. The AgAd said there was no
mention of the cartoon controversy during the meeting.


7. The AgAd said that it was a good first meeting, but there
was some frustration on his part and the part of his British
counterparts who work with him and accompanied him to the
meeting from Basrah. He said that the Basrah donor
representatives and the donor representatives based in Maysan
were not giving the same message to the Iraqis regarding how
they should outline a strategy for project funding. He said
they worked through it during the meeting and believes the issue
has been resolved. The Agricultural Sector Working Group agreed
to a second meeting in three to four weeks.


BASRAH 00000022 002.2 OF 002


COMMENT
--------------

8. Comment: The government of Maysan Province is much more
professional than its counterpart in Basrah. Though the Brits
and Danes are considered off limits by almost all the Basrah
governmental entities, the Maysan government recognized the
expertise of the Danish AgAd and resolved to work with him even
with the cartoon controversy still raging in southern Iraq. A
matter-of-fact businesslike attitude combined with the
uncertainty over AI caused the Maysan government to ignore
possible short-term political gain that could be made by playing
the cartoon card.


9. Comment continued: The inability for poloffs to travel
outside of Basrah has made it increasingly difficult to assess
the situation on the ground in each of the other three
provinces. Poloff attempted to join the Danish AgAd on his trip
to Maysan but was unable to do so because of limited British
helicopter capabilities. Poloffs have been unable to attend
recent PRDC meetings in other provinces due to British
restrictions on the number of people that can travel to the
meetings. Poloffs must rely on information from counterparts
such as the Danish AgAd and others who are in the provinces or
have the ability to travel for information regarding Maysan,
Muthanna and Dhi Qar provinces. End Comment.
GROSS