US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT1831

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KUWAIT 001831 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID/W 
STATE PLEASE REPEAT TO IO COLLECTIVE 
STATE FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE, NEA/NGA, IO AND SA/PAB 
NSC FOR EABRAMS, SMCCORMICK, STAHIR-KHELI, JDWORKEN 
USAID FOR USAID/A, DCHA/AA, DCHA/RMT, DCHA/FFP 
USAID FOR DCHA/OTI, DCHA/DG, ANE/AA 
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA:WGARVELINK, BMCCONNELL, KFARNSWORTH 
USAID FOR ANE/AA:WCHAMBERLIN 
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, IZ, WFP 
SUBJECT:  TFIZ01: DART ASSESSMENT OF AR RUTBAH 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  Members of DART Field Team West traveled from Jordan to 
Ar Rutbah in western Iraqi on 26 April.  The team met with 
local officials including the newly selected mayor, health 
officials, PDS food agents, education officials and local 
community members.  CARE sent two water engineers to Ar 
Rutbah who provided a detailed brief of the water and 
sanitation system and needs assessment to the DART.  The 
DART also met with Coalition forces who have been present in 
Ar Rutbah for the past several weeks.  Immediate needs could 
be met with specific, targeted interventions so that the 
stable atmosphere of the town can be maintained.  END 
SUMMART. 
 
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WATER 
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2.  There are approximately 25,000 people in and around Ar 
Rutbah, which normally receives its water from three 
different water treatment plants (WTP).  The main source is 
a group of 12 wells that are located approximately 15 
kilometers (km) south of town.  Other sources are the WTP 
located about 25 km south of Heet, and the WTP near Al Qa'im 
that draws from the Euphrates.  Water is piped through the 
desert, and there are several points in the pipeline where 
the Bedouin population can draw water out for themselves and 
their sheep. (Note: there are approximately two million 
sheep in this region that each require between three and 
four liters of water per day.  End note.)  The pipeline 
running from Al Qa'im is not operational.  The pipeline 
running from near Heet is providing water about only half of 
the way through the desert to Ar Rutbah. 
 
3.  Electricity has not been restored to the town and, 
therefore, the normal water system is still down.  However, 
residents are receiving untreated water that is being tanked 
to residences.  Coalition forces acquired generators that 
are being used to pump water from eight of the 12 wells, 
although four are at low efficiency.  The WTP is not 
receiving power, and the two 525 kilovolt-ampere (KVA) 
generators needed to operate the plant are beyond repair. 
 
4.  The DART discussed several immediate emergency 
interventions to activate the WTP south of town and increase 
capacity at the wells.  Interventions were also discussed 
for improving the operability of the 
pipeline running from the WTP south of Heet.  The DART will 
continue to coordinate with CARE to develop implementation 
plans to address these immediate needs. 
 
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FOOD 
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5.  The public distribution system (PDS), which serves 
approximately 26,000 beneficiaries, is functioning in Ar 
Rutbah.  All 63 Wakils (public distribution agents) are 
accounted for and working.  The DART witnessed PDS Oil for 
Food (OFF) deliveries to Wakils consisting of dry milk, tea, 
salt, beans, sugar, soap and detergent.  This eight to ten 
truck shipment did not contain flour, rice, oil or infant 
formula. Food supplies are adequate; however, the Wakils 
expressed concerns regarding future deliveries of flour, 
beans, and oil.  Beneficiaries had maintained ration cards, 
and no PDS system problems were reported.  Food was also 
available in the market.  The Head of Wakils stated that the 
last food delivery from Ar Ramadi was on 16 March, and the 
last flour distribution was sometime before that, but still 
in March.  He expects an unknown quantity of flour to be 
delivered from Ar Ramadi on 1 May. Current private stocks 
are probably adequate, but a more extensive assessment is 
needed to confirm this. 
 
6.  The Head of Wakils also reported that the mill in Ar 
Ramadi was recently made operational, but had limited 
milling capacity. This needs to be confirmed.  The shortage 
of cooking fuel for private homes and businesses is a 
concern as is security for food trucks on the main highway. 
 
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HEALTH 
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7.  Following the aerial bombing of Ar Rutbah's 40-bed 
hospital during the war, some of the 50-member staff moved 
to the city's remaining health facility, the Primary Health 
Center (PHC).  According to its director, Dr. Farouk, a 
pediatrician, the PHC receives 500 patients per day.  It is 
short on essential drugs, although there are enough basic 
stocks to last another month.  Lactose milk is used for 
supplementary feeding, but supplies are low and too 
expensive for purchase on the local market.  There is no 
therapeutic feeding program.   Staff estimated the 
malnutrition rate at ten percent.  The Center has depleted 
its available oxygen, which had been of low quality. 
 
8.  Due to water shortages in Ar Rutbah, the health staff 
has seen an increase in diarrhea cases, though they could 
not provide statistics.  (Note: Medical records were lost 
during the war.  End note.)  They have also treated children 
injured by unexploded ordnance (UXO).  Again, no numbers 
were provided, but two children were seriously injured and 
another killed by a UXO incident two days prior to the DART 
visit. 
 
9.  Dr Aziz, a surgeon and the former director of the 
destroyed hospital, said that because the PHC is not suited 
for surgery or in-patient care, patients are transferred by 
ambulance to the nearest hospital, 300 miles away in Ar 
Ramadi.  Before the war, the PHC had seven staff members. 
It now has between 30 and 35 staff.  Dr. Farouk and Dr. Aziz 
hope to convert the former Baath Party Building, 
located across from the hospital, into a temporary hospital 
facility.  The building was completely looted and would 
require extensive renovation.  The remains of the hospital 
were also looted and all administrative and medical records 
were lost or destroyed.  Most patients in the hospital had 
been deliberately vacated for precautionary reasons before 
the bombing.  One patient and his father, who elected to 
stay in the hospital overnight, were killed in the bombing. 
 
10.  The PHC has intermittent electricity, provided by a 
generator, and water but no communication capabilities. 
Staff sent letters to Ministry of Health (MOH) officials in 
Ar Ramadi, requesting drugs and supplies, but were told they 
would have to pay for them in advance as they had in the 
past.  There are two public-private pharmacies in town, in 
addition to the pharmacy at the PHC.  Many of the eight MOH 
doctors in Ar Rutbah (seven men and one woman) also maintain 
a private practice. 
 
11.  To date, the International Committee of the Red Cross 
(ICRC), MDM-Greece, and World Vision International (WVI) 
have visited the PHC and provided small quantities of 
drugs.  World Vision, working with PHC staff, ICRC and MDM, 
plan to deliver a supply of essential drugs on 28 April, and 
would like to offer ongoing health-sector support to Ar 
Rutbah over several months.  The DART has encouraged WVI to 
submit an implementation plan for emergency health 
intervention in Ar Rutbah. 
 
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SCHOOLS 
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12.  There are eight primary, three secondary, and one 
intermediate school in town.  None of the schools suffered 
damage related to combat, but several were looted.  Teachers 
and school officials protected most of the schools from 
looters, and the majority of teachers and students are eager 
to get back to school.  Some schools have started back up. 
However, a rumor recently spread that the Coalition forces 
had said that schools nationwide would not start for three 
months, so some teachers and many students 
stopped attending.  Coalition forces and the mayor are 
planning to get the message out to the community through the 
mosques that those schools that can open, should open. 
 
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UXOS 
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13.  Community members report the existence of numerous UXOs 
around town, some dating back to the 1991 war.  Several 
injuries have been reported over the past week.  While 
visiting the former Baath party HQ (site of the proposed 
temporary hospital), the DART witnessed a group digging up a 
site in the compound that was full of UXOs.  Coalition 
forces intervened to stop the activity. 
 
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT 
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14.  The town has selected a mayor and representatives for 
the various government ministries.  Police have begun 
patrols, and are manning checkpoints at the entrances to the 
town.  Pay is becoming an issue.  Officials are recommending 
that civil servants keep records of their time in order to 
submit it to the relevant ministries once the national 
government is stood back up. 
 
JONES