US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT2418

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 002418 
 
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 
ANKARA FOR AMB WRPEARSON, ECON AJSIROTIC AND DART 
AMMAN FOR USAID AND DART 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PREF, IZ, WFP 
SUBJECT:  WESTERN IRAQ UPDATE 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  According to IRC, there is no public health emergency in 
either Karbala or An Najaf governorates, but local residents 
are suffering from chronic, preventable health problems. 
The DART met with a health representative from Babil to 
discuss ways to solve emergency health problems in Al 
Hillah, specifically remedying poor sanitation conditions at 
the pediatric hospital, and resolving an essential drug 
shortage.  On the food side, according to WFP, Al Hillah has 
abundant amounts of flour in the market, but most Iraqis are 
unable to afford this commodity at current prices. 
 
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IRC IN AL HILLAH 
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2.  In An Najaf, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) 
has assessed 50 of the governorate's 59 compact water units 
and found that most need restoration or replacement.  In 
Karbala, IRC said the governorate's 42 units were in better 
condition.  After consultation with An Najaf governorate 
water officials, IRC decided to request funds from its 
cooperative agreement with the DART to help improve the 
faulty rural water systems. 
 
3.  "We haven't found any public health emergency," IRC said 
of its findings in Karbala and An Najaf governorates. 
However, IRC did find people suffering from preventable, 
chronic health problems, and said it would like to address 
them in its cooperative agreement plan.  It will focus its 
efforts in rural areas, concentrating on maternal child 
health, community health workers, TBAs, health education and 
hygiene, and enhanced pediatric screening. IRC would also 
support communicable disease surveillance and rural 
immunization campaigns, noting that the war disrupted the 
cold chain in some places.  IRC said there was no evidence 
of cholera or typhoid, and that it was unclear whether 
seasonal diarrhea rates had increased. However, IRC said 
there might be some cases of cholera outside of Karbala. 
 
4.  One major problem that IRC encountered was the lack of 
therapeutic milk in pediatric hospitals in An Najaf and 
Karbala.   Infant formula was being used as an alternative, 
although, according to the IRC health specialist, this was 
not a good substitute. 
 
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WFP IN AL HILLAH 
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5.  The DART confirmed on 19 May that Coalition forces have 
vacated the main food warehouse in Al Hillah.  However, the 
warehouse remains under the Coalition security.  Wakil 
(public distribution agents) trucks continue to pick up the 
September/October distribution as directed by the Ministry 
of Trade (MOT) and as agreed to by WFP. The distributions 
are being made to supplement earlier distributions that were 
deficient in some food items. 
 
6.  The DART met with WFP national staff in the designated 
WFP office space at the compound.  Neither the WFP nor the 
MOT office spaces are in acceptable condition, and both 
offices are in need of clean up, refurbishment, office 
furniture, computers and supplies. 
 
7.  At the request of MOT warehouse staff, front gate 
military security presently allow two trucks at a time into 
the compound. Although security is willing to allow more 
than two trucks, MOT warehouse staff stated that they did 
not have the personnel to process more than two trucks at a 
time. Approximately 30 trucks per day are receiving 
commodities from the compound. Trucks normally arrive at the 
compound throughout the morning and continue arriving until 
about 1400 hours. 
 
8.  According to WFP staff, current distributions include 
flour, rice, sugar, vegetable oil white beans, detergent, 
soap, tea, salt, and infant formula. They do not have stocks 
of adult milk or weaning cereal, and they are low in 
vegetable oil stocks.  WFP said that MOT would eventually be 
responsible for providing warehouse compound security. Until 
that time, Coalition forces will be required to secure the 
front gate and inspect in-coming vehicles. 
 
9.  WFP stated that Al Hillah has abundant amounts of flour 
in the market; however, most Iraqis are unable to afford 
this commodity at current prices. 
 
10.  WFP officials said they had seen the MOT database for 
Al Hillah and have discussed procedures to process any 
possible beneficiaries who have not been registered or who 
have lost their ration cards. MOT will re-register all 
beneficiaries that have been removed from the rolls or lost 
their ration cards.  These individuals will receive rations 
at the time of distributions.  The DART will confirm the 
specifics of these procedures with MOT. 
 
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PAYROLL AND SECURITY UPDATES FROM CMOC 
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11.  The DART participated in the Babil Governorate Support 
Team (GST) meeting on 19 May in Al Hillah and received a 
briefing on a scheme to slowly return the task of paying 
salaries to the municipalities.  Bank disbursement managers 
from all governorates will pay salaries via banks as they 
had before the war.  The Coalition military will transport 
the funds to each governorate through June, and hopes to 
turn over disbursement duties to the governorates in time 
for the July payroll. 
 
12.  A Coalition official announced that military police 
(MP) would soon begin a four-day course for police 
training.  The MPs will train a total of 600 police officers 
for Al Hillah, and will follow up by carrying out joint 
patrols.  The GST also announced that it was starting a 
tracking chart of all humanitarian projects in Babil. 
 
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MEETING WITH BABIL CIVIL AFFAIRS HEALTH OFFICIAL 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
13.  The DART met with the Babil GST health representative 
to discuss ways to solve emergency health problems in Al 
Hillah, specifically remedying poor sanitation conditions at 
the pediatric hospital, and resolving an essential drug 
shortage.  The GST official reported that 70 armed men 
entered Al Hillah's general hospital on 18 May and demanded 
that patients receive high-quality care.  Looting was not a 
motive, and details were sketchy.  However, there was 
gunfire in the hospital and two or three people were 
injured.  Doctors there threatened to walk out unless 
security was improved.  Two nights ago, there was a report 
of someone throwing a grenade over the entrance gate of the 
pediatric hospital.   Doctors at the pediatric hospital told 
the DART that many resident doctors lived at the hospital 
rather than risk commuting from their homes.  The Babil 
Ministry of Health identified 72 residents to undergo the 
upcoming "mini" police training and to serve as security 
police for Al Hillah health facilities.  Coalition forces 
carry out periodic patrols at Al Hillah hospitals, but do 
not provide permanent security for them. 
 
JONES