Transcript of the UN humanitarian briefing in Amman, Jordan, 29 March, 2003

[David]

Transcript of the UN humanitarian briefing in Amman, Jordan, 29 March, 2003

Nejib Friji, UN Spokesman

The UN Common system launched yesterday from our Headquarters in New York a flash appeal for more than $2 billion for humanitarian assistance in Iraq Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette said:

"When we asked for funds to enable United Nations humanitarian agencies to prepare for a possible new conflict in Iraq, we indicated that if and when conflict actually broke out we would have to come back and ask for much larger sums to fund the actual relief operations.

"Now that moment has arrived. As you know, the war has been raging for more than a week. The humanitarian impact is already being felt and could grow much worse in the days and weeks to come.

But the extent and nature of its needs is still very hard to assess. At the moment, we have only fragmentary information about conditions inside the country, and, of course, we do not know how the fighting will develop from here."

In order to further elaborate on the flash appeal, we invited the heads of the UN Agencies in Jordan and the region

Christine McNab, UN Resident Coordinator & UNDP Resident Representative

With a quarter century of development experience in Iraq, and hundreds of well-trained foreign and national staff available to resume work in the country, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will offer post-war humanitarian assistance in three critical areas:


Emergency repairs to infrastructure

Job-creating reconstruction programmes

De-mining coordination

The Electricity Network Rehabilitation Programme (ENRP) has been the largest UNDP undertaking in Iraq. In central and southern Iraq, UNDP has been implementing projects in the fields of water and sanitation, social mobilization and community development including income generation projects. These projects have been in the most deprived urban neighborhoods and in rural areas. Through this Procurement Office-based in Amman, Jordan-UNDP Iraq has developed significant purchasing and contracting capacity.
Reconstruction activities immediately after the end of hostilities must focus on basic humanitarian needs and be implemented in such a way as to avoid long-term dependency. All assistance would be provided under the international norms for humanitarian relief and in strict adherence to UNDP policies and practices. It requires no specific authorization from the Security Council or from military authorities.

Long-term UNDP developmental aid, including assistance with governance, would require Security Council authorization. Should the Security Council ask the UN System to support Iraq's recovery, the determination of UNDP's precise role would depend on the nature of the Security Council mandate.

In the immediate aftermath of armed conflict, UNDP will deploy teams assess damages to essential infrastructure and also participate in assessment missions led by other UN agencies, such as UNICEF and WHO. Thereafter, UNDP will implement rapid emergency repairs necessary.

Repair work will focus on the rehabilitation of basic infra-structure critical to humanitarian needs, such as health, education, water and sanitation, and electricity. By using labour-intensive techniques and payment for work, UNDP would ensure the repair of basic humanitarian infrastructure and provide income to the most deprived segments of the population. UNDP will also assist in the design of a full mine-action programme with UNOPS.

In designing its overall infrastructure repair plan the project will pay particular attention to the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). UNDP will appoint an IDP coordinator, who will coordinate with UNICEF, WHO and UNOPS, under the leadership of the Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator.

I would like to make a statement on behalf of OCHA (Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs)
A relatively small amount of money, just under $10 million, has been requested to ensure the coordination of the complex humanitarian relief effort in Iraq. This coordination is vital and covers issues such as:


Access on behalf of UN agencies in key locations such as Kuwait, Jordan, Iran and Turkey

Information collection, analysis and dissemination through the Humanitarian Information Centre for relief operations

Interaction with donors, regional governments, international organizations and NGOs

Civil-military coordination activities

Policy support to provide an effective framework within which the UN system can operate

Khaled Mansour, Spokesman for the World Food Programme (WFP) As announced last night in New York, the World Food Programme is appealing for $1.3 billion to fund a six-month operation in Iraq ..
The main goal is to keep the public distribution system going - a system on which about 60% of the Iraqi population heavily depend - for their monthly food rations

The WFP operation will be a phased response - the phases depend on unfolding needs. It could evolve into the largest humanitarian operation in history and bring about 1.6 million tons of food

This is going to be a huge task - let me quote the executive director of WFP James Morris who said yesterday:

"Orders for tens of thousands of metric tons of food are in place, contracts with shipping & trucking companies have been drafted and experienced staff deployed across the region. But to move from planning to action, we need a level of security and urgent funds from the international community."

We have enough food in the neighbouring countries now to provide for two million people for one month, but the hope is with international support and an adequate level of security WFP would be able to replenish the supply lines of the distribution system inside Iraq by the end of April. The Iraqis who might run out of food by the end of April should be able to receive their rations in May.

We hope that we would be able to maintain that system of distribution inside Iraq for only three months after which it is hoped that Iraq would become able to re-launch its own support system and WFP can scale down.

Thomas McDermont, Regional Director for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF has appealed for a total of a $166 million for the next six months. I am sure you are also aware that all of the agencies at this table have been at work for months now, in a coordinated effort of planning and preparation. Hopefully we will not implement the programme that we are now about to implement, we are however in need of financial assistance if we are to do our work properly.

For UNICEF this work has come down to five key sectors:


Water and Sanitation, an item high on everyone's agenda today because of the desperate situation in Basra. But it could well be there are desperate needs in other parts of the country, which we are not presently able to view. The key agencies in this effort have been the ICRC, Care and UNICEF. We also in preparation for refugee flows in neighboring countries have been working mostly with our partners in the UNHCR against the possibility of flow in countries, such as, Syria and Iran. Of the amount appealed, we are seeking almost $10 million in water tankering operations including water tankering in Basra. A total of $7 million in support of water plants and the back up of water systems in urban areas; a total of $12 million in sewage repairs & maintenance and a total of $2 million in education.

Education, one that is often ignored in most emergency situations, but in this should play a vital role in the future. Together with our partners we are seeking a total of $22 million; major partners being UNESCO, the Norwegian Refugee Council, UNHCR and UNICEF. About $3 million for school equipment, $6 million in learning material, $1 million in teacher retraining and about $6.3 million into school rehabilitation. UNICEF is concentrating on the primary school network and UNESCO concentrating on the secondary school network. Just to mention a couple of key items that UNESCO is covering in many sections that are vital for those efforts. Teachers to play roles in psychosocial rehabilitation of war traumatized children. This ties very closely in to UNICEFs own efforts in preparing networks. UNESCO is also supporting a programme for adolescents, one that should be key in all of our futures, given that that nearly one out of four children are out of school.

With regard to protection, we are appealing for about a sum of $12 million along with our partners in the Mine Action Service, UNHCHR, ICRC, IOM and UNHCR. About $2 million is for tracing and reunification of unaccompanied children to their families. $4.6 million for support of children in institutions; our 200 staff remaining in Iraq today have been making regular visits to these institutions and I must say they are facing a dire situation in the midst of the bombardment. $2 million to psychosocial rehabilitation and about $1 million for mine awareness education.

In nutrition, we are seeking about $44 million, incorporation in WFP, FAO and WHO. Iraq has an extensive system of therapeutic feeding centers, and we hope to keep those running with about $24 million. About $16 million into supplementary feeding and smaller into nutrition education and monitoring.

The health sector, which is led by WHO and our other partner, UNFPA. UNICEF proposes to put about $10 million into immunization, $9 million into essential drugs and lesser amounts into health education and obstetric care. I just note the important role WHO plays here, in establishing the hospital network, the public health system and the general health logistics structure in the country. In addition to the role played by the UNFPA with regards to prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, safe deliveries and the addressing of issues of sexual violence.
Sten Bronee, Representative for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Thank you for coming to Amman's launch of the UN's inter-agency flash appeal.

While we hope that UNHCR's role in caring for the war's victims will be small, nevertheless, we must work to ensure that countries bordering on Iraq are able to receive any desperate Iraqis who may seek asylum.

Governments in the region already shelter more than half the more than 400,000 recognized Iraqi refugees in the world. Our job is to help them to be prepared for a possible new influx.

The UN refugee agency's share of this appeal is $154 million to support the efforts of governments in the region to assist and protect any Iraqi refugees who may flee.

We are working with governments and national relief societies, like the Red Crescent movement, to prepare camps throughout the region. So far, we have spent more than $29 million shipping supplies to Jordan, Turkey and Iran, where we already have stockpiles sufficient for more than 300,000 people.

There have been no significant refugee movements reported since the war began.

This is not unexpected, these are early days, and Iraqis have been weakened by the collapse of their country's economy and 13 years of sanctions.

They may lack the means to reach distant frontiers or be too afraid to go far on roads where they may be exposed to attacks. Perhaps Iraqis are hoping to wait-out the conflict in their own homes with their meager supplies of food and other resources.

But the right to seek asylum is a basic human right. High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers has called on all countries in this region to keep their borders open to all Iraqi civilians who may flee.

Governments have indicated that they would abide by their humanitarian obligations, but donor countries must ensure that funds are available.

Australia, Japan and Switzerland, through their embassies here in Amman, have been particularly helpful in helping UNHCR to boost Jordan's preparedness effort, for which I am grateful.

There is nothing more we would like to see at the end of this conflict than the fact hat all our preparedness efforts were in vain, that no one needed the protection of a refugee camp. But, in order to ensure that no country in this region is caught unprepared, we do need the full support of the donor community.

Georgette Hoshe, Representative for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) IOM's response to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and neighboring countries includes:


Transportation of up to 70,000 third country nationals fleeing Iraq from border areas to transit camps in countries neighbouring Iraq.

Transportation of up to 135,000 refugees from border areas to transit camps in countries neighbouring Iraq, at the request of UNHCR.

Support for transit facilities for third country nationals arriving in Jordan.

Onward transport for third country nationals from transit camps to their home countries.

Under the supervision of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, coordination of relief efforts to assist displaced people in central and southern Iraq. IOM will become a focal point for agencies involved in IDP camp management and IDP registration. It will also fill gaps in the provision of essential non-food items.
As part of the UN Flash Appeal announced in New York yesterday, IOM's funding requirements for the response phase of the crisis covering the coming six months amount to US$64,111,643, broken down as follows:


US$14,447,126 for assistance to third country nationals.

US$6,164,517 for transportation assistance to refugees and asylum seekers.

US$43,500,000 for IDP assistance in southern and central Iraq.
IOM has received US$7 million from the United States government to date. This comprises US$5 million from USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), for IDP activities, and US$2 million from the US State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) for assistance to third country nationals.

Under the earlier UN appeal to fund the preparedness phase of the crisis, IOM appealed for US$1.9 million. It received contributions from Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States totalling US$1,121,757. IOM also received an advance of US$1 million from the UN's Central Emergency Revolving Fund.

This money allowed us to prepare contingency plans with concerned governments and to deploy specialist staff to the region.

Since last Thursday, we have already provided transport for 579 third country nationals fleeing Iraq from the border to the Ruweished transit camp. We have also provided onward transport to their home countries for 383 third country nationals from Jordan and 47 from Syria.

Ala'a Alwan, Representative & Chief of Mission for the World Health Organization (WHO)

The population already faces many health risks which have increased the incidence of diseases of childhood like diarrhoeal and respiratory conditions as well as the huge magnitude of chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions and cancer. Those who are particularly vulnerable include children and pregnant women, old people, those who are disabled and patients with chronic diseases requiring long term medical treatment (and medications).

The War vulnerable population
The conflict will increase the vulnerability of a large number of people and increase their health risks - people unable to access sufficient nutrients, clean water, air, sanitation, or shelter or medicines.

The risk of disease outbreaks may increase: besides cholera and typhoid, there will be an increased risk of measles outbreaks. Other diseases, such as leishmaniasis and malaria, are likely to emerge due to the collapse of control programmes

The war in Iraq (like any war) is affecting all elements of the health system.

WHO is mandated to respond immediately to reduce disease and prevent unnecessary suffering and death. It is also responsible for supporting the health infrastructure authorities in addressing the key health care needs of the population.

The Health component of the appeal will focus on the following major areas of work:



To provide essential care to the vulnerable through increasing management capacity :
- Strengthening health information including detecting disease outbreaks, identifying groups of people in particular danger, tracking people's access to priority services, and monitoring public health action.

- Co-ordination of public health interventions undertaken by all actors.

- Expanding the capacity to identify, and provide urgent response to major health risks like epidemics.


To support the MOH and keep the health system going through:
- Supporting, maintaining, and building capacity of medical, nursing and public health personnel through additional training as appropriate and incentives

- Providing Medicines, supplies and equipment: Systems for replenishing, and then sustaining supply, warehousing and distribution of medical supplies, medicines and equipment,

- Repairing and rehabilitating vital health structures, utilities, and communication


Intensive provision of priority services

Supporting priority programmes including immunization, health care for children and pregnant women, including antenatal care and assisted delivery, other reproductive health care services, prevention services, appropriate health care for chronic non-communicable diseases, and mental health counselling and support.
The three health agencies are appealing for $218,887,182 out of which $185 million for WHO. In addition WHO appeals for 1,5 for nutrition and 1,4 for water and sanitation where UNICEF is the lead agency. The health component constitutes less than10% of the total appeal.

Elkheir Khalafalla Khalid, Representative for the UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION in Iraq (FAO)

FAO'S EMERGENCY SUPPORT TO AGRICULTURE

Distinguished Representatives, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to brief you on the FAO component of the UN Inter-Agency Appeal. Local agricultural production in Iraq has always been considered a vital component of the country's food security and will continue to be of high strategic importance in support of any envisaged international food aid. The agricultural sector played a major role in supplementing the food basket as it is the only rational and cost effective means of providing animal protein, vitamins and other micronutrients essential for proper nutrition and health. Indeed, in this appeal FAO is aiming at mitigating the anticipated disruption in local food production.

The seasonality nature of agricultural production necessitates immediate interventions, otherwise the season's crop could be lost. The consequences of such loss will be reflected not only in the availability of vital food items, which from economical logistical aspects cannot be imported, but will also effect the livelihood of the farming community, a large segment of the population.

The proposed FAO intervention is important in sustaining the country's food security and the nutritional status of the population. On the other hand, the inability to support the agricultural sector from the very outset will have drastic consequences on both domains. Let me give you a quick brief of the FAO appeal's objectives:


FAO's main goal is to protect this season's grain harvest, which is estimated to be 1.7 million tons. From logistical aspects, if such quantitites were to be imported, we would need 85,000 truckloads to bring it into the country.

Similarly, it aims at ensuring needed supplies required for the planting of spring vegetables, especially for subsistence farmers.

It also is targeting the available 4,500 poultry farms in attempting to sustain to great extent the current yearly production of 180,000 metric tonnes of broiler meat and 2 billion eggs.

Another vital aspect is animal disease control, with the focus on regular vaccinations to control the trans-boundary spread of diseases.
In closing, I call upon the humanitarian and donor community alike to evaluate carefully the specificity and complexity of this unique crisis. A broader and holistic vision is needed, focusing not only on what is traditionally perceived as being humanitarian assistance. The emergency Food Security component of the Appeal represents less than 5% of the overall emergency requirements but supporting it could result in a major saving for the short and longer-term needs of the country.

Ziad Rifai, Spokesman for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)

War or no war, more than 2,000 Iraqi women give birth every day. Like all expectant mothers, these Iraqi women need adequate nutrition and access to vitamins, medicines and antenatal care to deliver safely, particularly that half of them are anemic. Even in the best of circumstances, more than 300 of these women would need emergency obstetric care every day.

In addition to women directly affected by the current conflict, thousands of other women, all over Iraq, may lose access to basic reproductive health services due to damage to health infrastructure, shortages of personnel and supplies, and breakdown of transport systems. The acute fear and stress experienced during warfare will also have serious consequences on the psychological health of women and their families, requiring interventions to help families and communities cope.

In order to save the lives of Iraqi mothers and their children, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is requesting $5,190,000 under this flash appeal. This money will help UNFPA provide Iraqi women with access to the necessary reproductive health services, essential emergency obstetric care, as well as supplies, medicines, information and trained care, including antenatal care. The money will also allow UNFPA to provide treatment and counseling for victims of sexual violence, as well as basic psychosocial counseling.

With the requested funds, UNFPA will:


Provide basic equipment, supplies and medicine for hospitals, primary health care facilities and mobile clinics to ensure essential reproductive health services, particularly safe delivery.

Conduct rapid assessments of reproductive health conditions and needs.

Train community health personnel on reproductive health and psychological counseling in emergency situations.

UNFPA will undertake the following tasks as soon as security situation permits:
Support the rehabilitation of damaged service delivery stations.

Collect, compile and analyze demographic health data for the establishment of a database for humanitarian response efforts.

Support health information and education programmes, including for adolescents.
We, at UNFPA, want to ensure that among other pressing humanitarian needs, the right of women to safe delivery is not sacrificed or compromised.

I wish to draw your attention that Ms. Ndeya Fall, the UNESCO Representative and she is ready to answer your questions, knowing that there was an appeal from UNESCO last night for the damage inflicted on humanitarian heritage in Baghdad and other cities.

Questions and Answers

Q: I understand that the US & UK authorities who are going to ask for identity cards for all aid workers, NGOs & otherwise. Will UN agencies submit to this kind of dictate?

A: For the security of our staff, we follow the guidelines of the UN Security Organization on Support, and we have been requested to have an easily identified ID card, which we produce ourselves and is standardized across the countries surrounding Iraq.

Q: You are speaking for your need to assess the damage, I don't know if that has already begun with the staff inside Iraq; is this an estimate of how much fund it will take or is this an appeal which could increase. How do you know this will cover your needs and have you received other responses other than what the US has provided the IOM & how much do you think it will take to get the money that you need?

A: With regard to assessment, these figures have been adjusted by research done by some of our national staff still in the country; this has been possible in the north, & not in the south & center, where a whole process of assessment will be done upon return. With regards to contribution from other countries, yes we have begun to see a number of countries pledge funds.

As WHO is concerned, there is assessment going on in Iraq. Currently WHO has about 300 people working in Iraq & these are supporting the health system in Iraq, but they are also undergoing a careful assessment of the health situation.

All figures are estimates, & it was made clear that the estimates can be moved upwards & downwards. We tried to cover the immediate & short term needs; the scale of infrastructure damage, we don't know yet, but we have our local staff, who are not concentrating on assessment but rather concentrating on making sure that when infra structure is damaged, they will use their know how to fix it. For instance, if a generator breaks down in a hospital, our staff will fix it. So we are working as far as we can & the estimates will be an ongoing process.

We have a very small window of opportunity, as we get funds today & they can translate into Iraq's food tomorrow. We have a long time between receiving the funds, ordering the food, getting the ships then the trucks and finally moving food inside & distributing it. Although we think that people have enough food inside Iraq till the end of April; this is a very short notice for such a logistical operation, because it will take anything between six weeks and more, so the money has to be received within days not weeks.

Q: Charles Hanley, AP: We all have this vision of a military occupation spreading from the south; we would like to know what the status of the coordination & discussions for the entry of UN agencies in to the occupied areas to start with their humanitarian aid. Are there any specific examples now of anything taking place along those lines?

A: The most concrete thing done till today, is the decision of the Security Council to restart the Oil for Food Programme, so we will be able to access supplies. This programme has always been complex & not just high volume. Our worry is to be able to act fast enough to get the supplies into Iraq. I also think that what must be taken into account is our needs for security of the staff that move in with the supplies. We will, as soon as possible field our security assessments & thereafter will be able to move in. We do have many of our staff working in Iraq & we are in contact & we will coordinate with them t make sure the supplies get through. We also have to keep in contact with the authorities in the country, whether the authorities who are now ruling or the occupying forces in any area that is occupied; that is our task, we have to stay in contact with them but that doesn't mean they supervise what we do & where we do it; it's for the security of the staff & to ensure the supplies.

Q: You mentioned that it is the responsibility of all government to help refugees & allow their access; could you tell us which governments, if any have not responded positively to your request?

A: I was taking about the fundamental need to keep borders open; in this region there are particular countries that have clearly stated that their borders will remain closed. In Jordan, the government has come to a difficult conclusion & has now established camps in Jordan for refugees & transit people. This is a positive step, which we didn't foresee six months ago & we welcome it very much. The High Commissioner continues to stress with other governments in the region that they also should have the same humanitarian commitment, for asylum seekers & people who seek protection.

Such discussions continue & this is a concern for all refugee countries & not just this region.

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