UNDP In The Context Of The United Nations Strategy
The UN strategy in response to the Iraq crisis follows a two-phased approach. The first focuses on providing humanitarian assistance to meet the immediate needs of the Iraqi people, and a number of emergency projects are already underway. The second phase will help address the longer-term recovery needs of Iraq, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1483 (2003). Planning for this phase has already begun, in consultation with Member States, the Bretton Woods institutions, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and Iraqi technical experts.
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| UNDP Assessments and Projects in Iraq. Map/UNDP |
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in particular has a critical role to play to ensure a smooth transition from one phase to the next. The forthcoming needs assessments will be key in determining the exact nature and scope of its involvement in areas that are absolutely essential in the context of Iraq's recovery.
The UNDP current programme in Iraq has been designed, in consultation with other UN partners, on the basis of its comparative advantage, experience and expertise. At this point in time, it focuses primarily on emergency infrastructure rehabilitation, with a clear emphasis on electricity, employment generation, and water and sanitation. The interventions involved relate to five sectors of the inter-agency humanitarian appeal for Iraq: emergency infrastructure rehabilitation (with UNOPS and ILO); water and sanitation (with UNICEF); coordination (with OCHA); mine action (with UNMAS); and return and reintegration of refugees and internally displaced persons (with UNHCR).
UNDP stands ready to make specific contributions for a total budget requirement of about $71 million, as part of the United Nations system's integrated emergency response, under the leadership of Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette, to address the humanitarian needs related to the Iraqi crisis. This response is articulated in the Flash Appeal of 28 March 2003, which totals $2.2 billion, including $1.3 billion for food aid, and covers a six-month period.
Recent Accomplishments
UNDP has become heavily involved in the dredging of the Umm Qasr Port, which being the only deep-water seaport of Iraq is of strategic importance for the delivery of urgently required humanitarian assistance. This enables 50,000-ton vessels carrying urgent World Food Programme's aid to off load at the port and will generally facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
UNDP is currently ensuring the daily distribution of more than 120,000 litres of fuel to the 231 potable water and sewage pumping stations in Baghdad. Due to the lack of electricity generated from the national network, all pumping stations are heavily dependent on the availability of fuel to operate emergency generators. Through this intervention, UNDP ensures that potable water is piped to households and that sewage is removed from the city.
UNDP is working on the rehabilitation of the Baghdad sewage treatment plants. Operation of the two main plants of the city has stopped due to heavy bombing and extensive looting, causing sewage of the city of more than 6 million inhabitants to be entirely discharged into the Tigris river.
A number of the following activities were closely coordinated with the CPA and UNICEF in order not to duplicate efforts to repair major infrastructure systems:
Finalization of water and sanitation facilities assessment in Baghdad and in the centre/south of Iraq was completed;
Provision of incentives for key operators and managers of water and sewage plants and projects;
Repairs to the water network in Baghdad;
Rehabilitation of 51 key sewage pumping stations;
Rehabilitation of key water treatment plants;
Water tankering of 800,000 litres per day to deprived areas in the south and Baghdad;
Garbage collection in seven of nine municipalities in Baghdad;
Tankering of fuel to selected water and sewage treatment plants;
Procurement of chlorine gas for the country;
Daily distribution of more than 120,000 litres of fuel to the 231 potable water and sewage pumping stations in Baghdad;
Rehabilitation of Baghdad sewage treatment plants;
Provision of generators to several water and sanitation facilities in the south of Iraq and immediate repairs to them, and provision of personnel through income-generating programmes for the immediate rehabilitation of the premises; and
Water-quality control procedures in six governorates in place. | |
In Mosul, Baghdad, Erbil and Basrah, UNDP has started implementation of projects aimed at providing employment opportunities to the most deprived segments of the population, while contributing to the rehabilitation of the country's basic infrastructure. An increasing number of labourers have so far been employed in short-term clean-up operations that have served hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, schools, as well as other community-level services and public areas that have been overrun by garbage and rubble. Many more local initiatives are being designed and will be launched shortly.
In many parts of Iraq, assessment missions have been dispatched to identify high-priority projects and provide emergency support. Recent missions were sent to the Mosul hydropower and gas stations, the Dibis gas and thermal power stations, the Mulla Abdulla gas power station, and the Taza substation.
In Kirkuk, transmission bypasses are being set up to replace destroyed electricity lines. This will make it possible not only to fully meet the electricity needs of the city, but also to generate an excess capacity that will be diverted towards Baghdad, which has a severe deficit.
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