US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT2107

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 002107 
 
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, KPAL, IZ, WFP 
SUBJECT:  DART ASSESSMENT OF PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMP 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  The DART conducted an assessment on 10 May of the newly 
established Palestinian refugee camp in the Baladi Yat area 
of Baghdad.  Although the camp appeared to be well managed 
by the Palestinian Red Crescent and is supported by the 
surrounding community, an inadequate water and sanitation 
system combined with warming temperatures will increase the 
likelihood of health hazards and communicable diseases. The 
camp director warned that the population may swell to 
approximately 1,000 families over the next two weeks, 
thereby creating emergency requirements for shelter, food, 
and water and sanitation.  Despite being assured that 
security was not a concern at the camp, the DART was forced 
to depart hastily from the area when gunfire erupted near 
the DART vehicles.  End Summary. 
 
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CHANGE OF ATMOSPHERE 
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2.  Upon arriving at the refugee camp, the DART met with the 
camp's director and other community leaders to discuss the 
circumstances leading to the creation of the camp and the 
possible needs of the residents.  The camp leaders were very 
forthcoming with information regarding needs of the 
residents, support from relief agencies to date, and access 
to the camp.  Once the camp leaders had answered DART 
enquiries regarding humanitarian issues, however, the DART 
received a lecture on the history of how approximately 
35,000 Palestinians found refuge in Iraq following the 
events of 1948 and how much the Palestinians in Baghdad 
loved Saddam Hussein for all the support and subsidies he 
provided during his regime.  When asked about a permanent 
solution to their situation, the camp leaders responded that 
there was no option other than a return to Palestine. 
 
3.  The camp director then asked for contact information 
from DART officers for possible future needs discussions. 
Upon receiving DART business cards, there was a palpable 
change of atmosphere, and it became apparent that there had 
been a mistranslation of whom the DART represented.  When 
the camp director realized the DART was part of the USG, he 
immediately developed a more stolid attitude and commented 
that he expected more from the USG "since you are 
responsible for half of our burden."  The meeting adjourned 
quickly and DART officers were allowed to inspect the camp. 
 
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SUPPORT FROM FORMER REGIME 
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4.  The Baladi Yat area is reportedly home to approximately 
8,000 Palestinian refugees who had been receiving financial 
and material support from a variety of international 
agencies including the International Committee of the Red 
Cross (ICRC), the United Nations High Commissioner for 
Refugees (UNHCR), and the Iraqi Red Crescent.  However, 
since the collapse of the former regime and the consequent 
cessation of government subsidies, many of these residents 
were unable to afford rents set by the owners and were 
evicted from their apartments.  Approximately 400 families 
since early April have been forced to leave their homes and 
relocate mostly in the local soccer club grounds (the site 
visited by the DART) and other locations in the area.  The 
DART counted approximately 120 tents at the location and was 
informed that the average family size was five to six 
persons.  The camp leaders were most concerned that the 
population of the camp could increase suddenly over the next 
two weeks since approximately 700 other families face 
eviction. 
 
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CAMP MANAGEMENT 
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5.  Camp residents are residing on the soccer pitch in new 
tents provided by the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, although 
the tents are designed for only four persons.  The camp 
appears to be well managed and maintained, and there were no 
visible signs of overcrowding.  However, there is no more 
space inside the fenced soccer pitch, and if the population 
should rise dramatically, as anticipated by the camp 
leaders, more tents will have to be erected in the empty 
field adjacent to the soccer pitch.  There is currently a 
need for more tents, and the Iraqi Red Crescent Society told 
the camp directors that it could not provide a fence if the 
camp were expanded.  The increasingly high temperatures in 
Baghdad will exacerbate both health and safety concerns. 
There is no separate cooking facility, and residents use gas 
bottles in their tents. 
 
6.  Food stocks have been provided by several international 
agencies including the ICRC and Iraqi Red Crescent Society, 
although at the time of the DART assessment, there were 
reserves available for only the next two weeks, presuming 
that the camp population does not increase.  The most 
pressing need, according to the camp directors, is safe 
drinking water.  The Government of Qatar recently provided 
bottled water, but stocks were expected to last only a few 
days.  The camp was trying to arrange for regular water 
deliveries by truck, as the quality of water provided by the 
local system was unknown. 
 
7.  The DART's water and sanitation specialist noted that 
although he detected chlorine in the local water sources, 
the water was not suitable for consumption.  (There were 
only three taps running from the same source.)  This same 
area was also used for washing and laundry.  In addition, 
the five toilets available (open-pit latrines) were 
inadequate for the size of the camp.  The women's bathroom 
was well lighted and separated from the men's facilities. 
 
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HEALTH 
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8.  There is a large outpatient clinic in the immediate 
vicinity that supports the camp with a variety of health 
services.  The clinic was established originally to tend 
exclusively to the Palestinians, but now serves the entire 
community.  It employs a staff of over 150 and operates 24 
hours per day.  The clinic has always been managed by the 
Palestinian Red Crescent, and depends on various donations 
to renew its medical stocks.  The clinic staff visit the 
camp every day and have noticed no health status 
deterioration to date. 
 
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SECURITY 
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9.  The camp directors claimed that there were no problems 
with camp security, and that other than a few isolated 
incidents of violence, the relations between the 
Palestinians and local Iraqi populace were excellent.   Most 
of the recent evictions reportedly were financially 
motivated and had little or nothing to do with ethnic or 
human rights issues. 
 
10.  Despite earlier claims by camp leaders of no security 
problems in the camp, the DART assessment was curtailed 
after approximately 30 minutes due to an outbreak of gunfire 
near the DART vehicles, after which the DART immediately 
departed the camp.  (Comment:  DART officers believe the 
gunfire was a deliberate intimidation tactic to compel the 
DART to leave the camp.  None of the camp leaders escorted 
the DART or participated in the camp assessment following 
the initial meeting.  The DART believes it was allowed a 
cursory evaluation of the camp and then encouraged to depart 
through the automatic rifle fire.  End Comment.) 
 
JONES