US embassy cable - 04ROME2933

UNCLAS  ROME 002933 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME 
 
BAGHDAD FOR AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE, USAID DIRECTOR AND 
USDA/FAS COUNSELOR SMITH 
STATE FOR NEA/IR AMBASSADOR RAPHEL, IO A/S HOLMES, IO/EDA, 
EB/IFD/OMA 
USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, ETERPSTRA, MCHAMBLISS, RTILSWORTH AND 
LSCHATZ 
USAID FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, AA/DCHA WINTER, AA/ANE 
KUNDER, DCHA/OFDA, D/DCHA/FFP LANDIS 
TREASURY FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 
JOINT STAFF FOR JE/J4/J5 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EAGR, AORC, EFIN, IZ, WFP 
SUBJECT: WFP'S SCHOOL FEEDING EFFORTS IN IRAQ 
 
REF: (A) ROME 002768, (B) ROME 00973, (C) ROME 00936 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
NOT SUITABLE FOR INTERNET POSTING. 
 
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Summary 
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1. (SBU) WFP's school feeding programs in Iraq are ongoing. 
During the academic year 2003-2004 in the three northern 
governorates, WFP provided technical assistance to the local 
authorities to guarantee a smooth continuation of school 
feeding activities targeting over 700,000 students. 
Between March and May, in the center/south of Iraq, WFP 
carried out a pilot school-feeding project benefiting 
105,000 students, in collaboration with the Ministry of 
Health (MOH) and Ministry of Education (MOE). WFP has now 
issued an Emergency Appeal (July 2004-June 2005, valued at 
U.S. $54.1 million) targeted to primary school children and 
vulnerable groups. US Mission is strongly supportive of this 
undertaking. For the longer-term, in our view, debt relief 
could be a key element in the resuscitation of Iraq's 
primary education sector. End summary. 
 
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Background 
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2. (U) By the end of the 1970s, Iraq was one of the 
wealthiest and most developed countries in the Middle East 
with a thriving economy sustained by sales from large oil 
reserves. Social investments by the Government from 1975- 
1985 raised the standard of living and improved the 
country's social sectors. Iraq had one of the best education 
systems in the region with respect to both access and 
quality: education was free at all levels, and all necessary 
teaching and learning materials were provided. After the 
Iran-Iraq War the quality of education began to deteriorate 
and after the 1990-91 Gulf War, it decreased dramatically. 
 
3. (U) By 2000, only 76.3 percent of children aged 6-11 were 
attending primary school despite the fact that primary 
education was compulsory. In rural areas, less than 50 
percent of girls were attending school compared to 80 
percent in urban areas.  Dropout rates for primary school 
children nearly doubled over the 20-year period from 
1978-1998, and more than doubled for girls.  In the 
2000/2001 academic year, the number of children in the sixth 
class was only 45 percent of the number of children in the 
first class. 
 
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WFP efforts in school feeding from April 2003 onwards 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
4. (U) During the academic year 2003-2004 in the three 
northern governorates, WFP provided technical assistance to 
the local authorities to guarantee a smooth continuation of 
school feeding activities targeting over 700,000 students. 
WFP will continue provision of High Energy Biscuits for 
distribution to school children and technical assistance to 
the authorities in the north until the end of 2004. 
 
5. (U) Between March and May, in the center/south of Iraq, 
WFP carried out a pilot school-feeding project benefiting 
105,000 students, in collaboration with the Ministry of 
Health (MOH) and Ministry of Education (MOE).  MOH and MOE 
staff visited school feeding projects in Egypt and Chile to 
study the possibility of replicating best practices. A 
survey to assess the efficacy of the school program is 
 
 
ongoing. The final report is expected in August. 
 
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WFP complementary "safety-net" efforts 
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6. (U) WFP is also collaborating with World Health 
Organization (WHO), Ministry of Trade (MOT), Ministry of 
Health/Nutrition Research Institute (MOH/NRI) and UNICEF on 
a Wheat Flour Fortification program. The stakeholders 
presented in March an action plan to the Wheat Flour 
Fortification National Committee in Baghdad. The plan, 
covering the period 2004-2007, aims at enabling the 
production of fortified wheat flour in all 177 existing 
mills by end of 2005. This would help reduce the prevalence 
of iron deficiency anemia in women. It is expected also to 
reduce `Neural Tube' birth defects. Results of the plan will 
be measured through monitoring. A comprehensive household 
survey on consumption of fortified wheat is planned for 
2007. 
 
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The WFP Multi-Agency School Feeding Assessment-August 2003 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
7. (U) WFP conducted with UNICEF a school feeding assessment 
for Iraq August 4-15, 2003. Results were as follows: 
 
a. There was a great deal of interest on the part of 
Ministry officials, school administrators, teachers and 
parents for an integrated school-feeding program.  There was 
general recognition that school feeding can help to increase 
enrollment and attendance; improve children's capacity to 
concentrate and assimilate information by relieving short- 
term hunger and contribute to both the improvement of 
children's nutrition and possibly their academic 
performance. 
 
b. Moreover, there was support and recognition of the need 
for nutrition, health and sanitation education and, in some 
areas of the country, a deworming program.  The Ministry 
officials interviewed were unanimous in their support for a 
program with 100 percent coverage of primary school 
children.  When the mission team suggested that the program 
target the vulnerable geographic areas of the country, the 
response was that even wealthy countries have school feeding 
programs, why should Iraq, potentially a wealthy country, be 
any different.  Many of the Ministry officials, teachers and 
parents referenced a small-scale school-feeding program that 
was implemented from 1979-82 and provided cheese, eggs, 
fruit and milk for all primary school children. 
 
c. The Iraqis interviewed said that they wanted a high 
quality school feeding program with fresh produce provided 
not only for children in primary schools, but also for those 
in kindergartens, literacy classes, schools for the 
handicapped, and boarding schools. They also felt that 
teachers and cleaning staff should be provided food at the 
schools. 
 
d. The mission team agreed that a school meal program should 
be national in scope and involve a menu more comprehensive 
and varied than biscuits, utilizing fresh foods. The team 
also feels that the program in the longer term should 
generate business and employment opportunities for Iraqis. 
 
e. Feasible options are limited, however, by security 
constraints, the current lack of trained staff, the 
inadequacy of the primary school infrastructure (in terms of 
water, electricity, kitchens, cold storage, etc.), and the 
reduced school day (children are in school for 4 rather than 
 
6 hours/day as a result of double and triple shifts and 
other factors). The mission team therefore recommended 
beginning with a pilot "biscuit and drink" program, targeted 
to specific areas of the country and not heavily reliant on 
school infrastructure. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
WFP Assistance to vulnerable groups program July 2004- end 
June 2005 - Emergency Operation (EMOP) 10360.0 "Assistance 
to Primary School Children and Vulnerable Groups 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
8. (U) WFP has just finalized a new EMOP that takes into 
consideration the security environment and the absence of 
United Nations international staff in-country. This project 
is intended to provide targeted food aid to primary school 
children, malnourished children, pregnant and lactating 
mothers, as well as the chronically sick in particularly 
vulnerable districts. The food aid will be complemented with 
training and capacity building in food security and 
vulnerability analysis. 
 
9. (U) Assistance will be provided for an initial period of 
one year to 972,800 primary school children, 350,250 
pregnant and lactating women, 223,200 malnourished children 
and their families, and 6,400 tuberculosis patients. WFP 
will also assist in building the capacity of Iraqi 
institutions to monitor and analyze food security indicators 
and design appropriate responses. Note. In addition to 
numbers above, there are an estimated 770,000 primary school 
children in the three Northern Governorates of Erbil, Dohuk 
and Suleymaniyeh whose schools will be supported with 
provision of biscuits for the first semester of school year 
2004-2005. End Note. The program, valued at US $54.2 million 
- covers the period July 2004-June 2005. 
 
10. (U) The objectives of the vulnerable group project will 
be to: 
 
a. Increase enrollment and regular attendance of children, 
in particular girls, in primary schools; 
b. Increase attendance of malnourished children and pregnant 
and lactating women at local healthcare facilities; 
c. Improve the nutritional status of malnourished children 
and pregnant and lactating women; 
d. Secure regular attendance of tuberculosis patients 
enrolled in the National Program at local healthcare 
facilities; 
e. Improve the knowledge and daily practices of mothers and 
caretakers of young children on appropriate feeding 
practices; 
f. Improve Iraqi institutional capacity in monitoring and 
analyzing food security. 
 
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Comment from Ambassador Hall 
---------------------------- 
 
11. (SBU) This EMOP deserves our full support. In the 
longer-term, in addition to traditional sources of funding 
(McGovern-Dole, PL 480 Title II, ESF, etc), Iraq owes the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture approximately U.S. $4 billion 
on defaulted General Sales Manager (GSM) credit guarantee 
loans and interest dating back to 1991. While the Paris Club 
discussions might be protracted, and a number of 
complications could arise, the development of a national 
school feeding effort (that inter alia could involve 
imported products) might be a reasonable quid-pro-quo for 
debt forgiveness. WFP has vast experience in school feeding 
endeavors and a solid track record in Iraq. Debt relief 
could be a key element in the resuscitation of Iraq's 
 
 
primary education sector. 
 
12. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. Hall 
 
 
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 2004ROME02933 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED