In the week from 27 March to 2 April 1999 there were only five shipments
of oil from Iraq totalling 8.7 million barrels with an estimated revenue of
$111 million. After 128 days of Phase V (26 November 1998 to 24 May 1999) of
the oil for food programme Iraq has exported 240.9 million barrels (average
1.88m bpd) for an estimated revenue of $2.335 billion (average $9.69 a
barrel).
The independent inspection agents stationed at the Mina Al Bakr loading
platform in the Shat al-Arab waterway advise that on Sunday, 4 April 1999
there was a brief interruption in the flow of oil. However, it then resumed
at up to the normal rate of 65,000 barrels per hour only to fall back to
32,000 barrels per hour on Monday morning.
The pumping rates improved during the day and the independent inspection
agents advised on Tuesday that the ship currently alongside Mina Al Bakr is
receiving oil at 50,000 barrels an hour - the maximum it is able to receive.
During the past week the Office of the Iraq Programme received 21
additional oil spare parts contracts worth $7,483,897. So far, the OIP has
received 603 oil sector contracts with a total value of $320,128,316. The
Security Council's 661 Committee approved three contracts for $495,868 worth
of oil equipment. This brings the total number of oil sector contracts
approved under Phase IV and V to 404 worth $238,293,295. The Committee put
one oil sector contract on hold bringing the total on hold to 98 contracts
worth $34,387,520. (see
full list of oil spares contracts)
As at the end of March, the OIP had received just two contracts for
targeted nutrition - a part of the health sector aimed at providing high
protein biscuits for pregnant or nursing mothers and therapeutic milk for
severely malnourished children. Iraq proposed spending $16 million dollars
on these items in the Distribution Plan for Phase IV. However, the two
contracts received total just $3.1 million dollars. Both contracts have been
approved and funded and funds are available for the remainder of the
allocation.
Successive reports by the Secretary-General expressed serious concern
regarding the need to accelerate procurement of these targeted nutrition
items given the unacceptably high level of malnutrition in Iraq. Up to 23%
of children in the 15 governorates in the centre and south of Iraq suffer
from some degree of malnutrition.
