US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT1933

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001933 
 
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 UPDATE FROM MOSUL 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  The situation in northern Iraq remains calm.  On 5 May, DART 
Team North visited Mosul for the first time.  The climate in the 
city appears vibrant and bustling, and there is a large Coalition 
presence.  Delegates representing a cross-section of Mosul's 
religious and ethnic groups elected 24 town council 
representatives, an interim mayor who is a retired army general, 
and a deputy mayor on 5 May.  CMOC-Mosul reported that of the 
thirteen hospitals in the city, seven are functioning.  Kurdish 
residents forced out of villages by the former regime more than 
two decades ago are now beginning to return.  WFP has 
approximately 13,000 MT of food commodities in Mosul, and there 
is an estimated 250,000 MT of wheat stored in the Mosul silos, 
but its condition is unknown.  End Summary. 
 
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MOSUL TOWN COUNCIL ELECTED 
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2.  On 5 May, delegates representing a cross-section of Mosul's 
religious and ethnic groups elected 24 town council 
representatives, an interim mayor who is a retired army general, 
and a deputy mayor.  The proceedings went smoothly, although some 
delegates are said to have walked out because the council was 
divided along ethnic lines.  The delegates and elected mayor 
received standing ovations from the delegation of more than 200. 
Representatives from the Office of Reconstruction and 
Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) and the Civil Military Operations 
Center (CMOC)-Mosul also attended. 
 
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HEALTH 
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3.  The DART attended a health sector meeting on 4 May.  Hosted 
by Northwest Medical Teams International (NWMTI), the meeting was 
attended by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in the 
health sector, CMOC, and a representative of the Department of 
Health in Arbil. 
 
4.  NGOs summarized their activities, paying particular attention 
to the "newly-liberated" areas of Arbil Governorate and aid to 
medical facilities in Mosul.  CMOC was represented by officers 
from the Erbil, Mosul, and Kirkuk offices; briefings were given 
on the situation in Kirkuk and Mosul. 
 
5.  CMOC has been assessing medical facilities in Kirkuk and 
offered to assist NGOs in coordinating their efforts in that 
city.  They reported that the central medical distribution system 
in the city is intact and functioning.  Hospitals and clinics are 
pleased with the system, CMOC said, although some outlying areas 
report problems. 
 
6.  CMOC-Mosul reported that of the thirteen hospitals in the 
city, seven are functioning.  Staffing needs are being met, 
although there are problems with, among other things, salaries 
and transportation.  Current needs include equipment and medical 
supplies.  A priority in the Mosul medical community is to repair 
and renovate the infectious disease hospital. 
 
7.  On 5 May, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Minister 
of Health and Social Affairs, chaired a meeting of NGOs currently 
working in Arbil and Dahuk Governorates.  The Minister informed 
NGOs that the Ministry should identify health needs and 
coordinate NGO activities in this sector.  He went on to say that 
the Ministry would support and facilitate NGO efforts to meet 
these needs.  The Minister thanked NWMTI for chairing previous 
meetings, but he made it clear that the Ministry would chair 
future health sector meetings. 
 
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RETURNING IDPS 
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8.  Two meetings were held at the KRG Ministry of Reconstruction 
and Development (MORAD) on 3 and 4 May to address a MORAD 
proposal to reconstruct villages in southern Arbil Governorate. 
Approximately 40 villages in the area were "Arabized" more than 
two decades ago by the Saddam regime, which controlled the area 
until recently.  Kurdish residents were forced out of the 
villages and have been internally displaced in Arbil and 
elsewhere in the Kurdish-controlled region.  They are now 
beginning to return to those villages.  The Minister has asked UN 
agencies and NGOs to visit the villages to assess needs and 
participate in the rebuilding of the region.  The visit is 
scheduled for 6 May. 
 
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FOOD 
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9.  During the visit to Mosul, a DART food officer met with U.N. 
World Food Program (WFP) local staff.  WFP has approximately 
13,000 metric tons (MT) of food commodities in Mosul.  The Iraqi 
Ministry of Trade (MOT) has other stocks (left over from the 
interrupted March distribution) and there is possibly an 
estimated 250,000 MT of wheat stored in the Mosul silos.  The 
grain's condition is unknown.  Coalition forces and the MOT are 
considering distribution of the MOT warehouse stocks.  The silos 
are generally functional but are in need of some maintenance. 
Eleven of the thirteen mills in the area are functioning.  They 
are privately owned and were protected from looting.  Of the 
remaining silos, one is now controlled by Coalition forces and 
the other is controlled by the Peshmerga. 
 
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CMOC - NGO COORDINATION MEETING 
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10.  Also on 5 May, the DART attended the first CMOC/NGO 
coordination meeting in Mosul.  In contrast to coordination 
meetings in Arbil, attended by over a dozen NGOs, only three NGOs 
attended the coordination meeting in Mosul.  Of the three 
present, only Qandil is currently working in Mosul.  CMOC 
provided security information, as well as general information in 
a number of sectors, including health and education.  There seems 
to be some confusion among the NGOs as to CMOC's role.  At one 
point, Dutch Consortium asked if they now had permission to work 
in Mosul.  CMOC explained they do not control NGO activities and 
aimed to help NGOs work safely throughout the region.  CMOC was 
unaware of several key issues related to NGOs' ability to work in 
northern Iraq, including the relationship between a city being 
deemed permissive and the inability of civilian aircraft to fly 
into Iraq.  These meetings are expected to be a weekly event. 
 
JONES