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Programme
News
$7.6 Billion Transferred to
Development Fund for Iraq
The UN Controller has transferred US$7.6
billion to the Development Fund for Iraq. Transfers of $1 billion
each were made on 28 May, 31 October and 18 November from the United
Nations Iraq escrow account, at the request of the Security Council
contained in paragraph 17 of
resolution 1483 (2003)
of 22 May 2003. Another $2.6 billion was transferred on 31 December
2003 and a further $2 billion on 31 March 2004. (Posted 31 March
2004)
$5.6 Billion Transferred to Development Fund for Iraq
The UN Controller has
transferred US$5.6 billion to the Development Fund for Iraq.
Transfers of $1 billion each were made on 28 May, 31 October and 18
November from the United Nations Iraq escrow account, at the request
of the Security Council contained in paragraph 17 of
resolution 1483 (2003)
of 22 May 2003. A further $2.6 billion was transferred on 31
December 2003. (Posted 2 January 2004)
Countdown to Handover of
Oil-for-Food Programme
With three days to the
termination of the Oil-for-Food Programme, 85 per cent of the
contracts in its humanitarian pipeline have been prioritized for
delivery. As of 18 November, 868 approved and funded pipeline
contracts valued at $1.36 billion remained for consideration. The
Coalition Provisional Authority has indicated that it will continue
the prioritization process for approved and funded contracts beyond
21 November on the basis of needs to be determined with the Iraqi
authorities.
UN agencies and
programmes have negotiated contract amendments with almost 95 per
cent of the suppliers holding prioritized contracts and expect to
conclude discussions on most of the remaining 153 contracts before
midnight on the 21st.
The Executive Director of
the Programme, Mr. Benon V. Sevan, will report progress on the
termination process to the Security Council on Wednesday 19
November. His report will be posted on this website immediately
following this presentation.
The cost of the
contracted items from suppliers in dozens of countries are covered
by funds from the sale of Iraqi oil under the Oil-for-Food Programme
prior to the onset of hostilities in late March. At that time, the
Oil-for-Food Programme had some 5,000 contracts worth about $10
billion for food and other items approved and funded, awaiting
delivery. Although the Programme will be terminated on 21 November,
the delivery of prioritized goods and supplies will continue well
into 2004 under the administration of the CPA. (Posted 18
November 2003)
$3
Billion Transferred to Development Fund for Iraq
The UN Controller has
transferred US$3 billion to the Development Fund for Iraq. Transfers
of $1 billion each were made on 28 May, 31 October and 18 November from the United Nations Iraq escrow
account, at the request of the Security Council contained in
paragraph 17 of resolution
1483 (2003) of 22 May 2003.
Exit
Strategy Presented to UN Security Council
The Office of the Iraq
Programme reported
progress and ongoing activities related to its exit strategy to the
Security Council on 28 October, pending termination of the
Oil-for-Food Programme on 21 November.
Under Secretary General
Benon V. Sevan, Executive Director of the Programme, detailed
arrangements for the handover of humanitarian supply operations,
contracts, assets, databases and documentation, project
responsibilities and the balance of funds, to the Coalition
Provisional Authority (CPA) as mandated by resolution 1483. He
assured the Council that in spite of chronic insecurity within Iraq
and the withdrawal of necessary international staff following the
tragic bomb attack on the UN’s Baghdad headquarters on 19 August,
the Programme would meet its deadlines and would continue to
facilitate a smooth handover to the CPA in close coordination with
the relevant Iraqi authorities.
Mr Sevan said that the
United Nations remains fully committed to the humanitarian welfare
of the Iraqi people and that its approach to the transfer of
responsibilities for the Programme reflects an
"unswerving" determination to safeguard their interests.
(Posted 28 October 2003)
Prioritization
and Amendment of
Contracts in High Gear
Efforts to prioritize and
amend contracts to assure delivery of humanitarian goods and
supplies to Iraq, remain in high gear as the 21 November termination
date for the Oil-for-Food Programme approaches.
Ninety new contracts from
the $10 billion Oil-for-Food pipeline have been prioritized in the
past week as a result of consultations between the Coalition
Provisional Authority, Iraqi experts and the United Nations. Eighty
five of those contracts were in the food sector. Five were in the oil
industry sector. So far, 3,186 contracts valued at more than $8.5
billion have been prioritized under resolution 1483.
Working against the clock,
UN agencies and programmes have also forwarded some 700 amended
contracts to the Office of the Iraq Programme in the past week. This
represents an almost 20 per cent increase in activity over the
previous week. About 75 per cent of prioritized contracts have now
been amended. Amendment action is pending on an additional 800
contracts.
Revised authentication
procedures are operational in neighbouring countries for
humanitarian goods and supplies bound for Iraq. The inspection point
at Silopi (Turkey) is the most active. The UN independent inspection
agent (Cotecna) has been processing an average of 62 trucks a day at
Silopi, including 3,490 metric tonnes of food in the past week.
The cost of the
contracted items from suppliers in dozens of countries are covered
by funds from the sale of Iraqi oil under the Oil-for-Food Programme
prior to the onset of hostilities in late March. At that time, the
Oil-for-Food Programme had some 5,000 contracts worth about $10
billion for food and other items approved and funded, awaiting
delivery. Although the Programme will be terminated on 21 November,
the delivery of prioritized goods and supplies will continue well
into 2004. (Posted 4
November 2003)
Contracts
Worth $7.5 billion Prioritized
so Far
The pace of contract
prioritization and the negotiation of amendments by UN agencies and
suppliers has picked up this week. With just three weeks to the
closure of the United Nations Iraq Programme (21 November), about 85
per cent of the contracts (by value) for goods and supplies in the
Oil-for-Food pipeline have been prioritized for delivery, under
Security Council resolution 1483 (22 May).
Consultations between the
Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraqi experts and the United
Nations, have so far resulted in the prioritization of 3,486
contracts valued at $7.5 billion.
UN agencies and
programmes are negotiating with suppliers to expedite deliveries.
About 61 per cent of the prioritized contracts have so far been
renegotiated – a 10 per cent increase over the past week.
The cost of the
contracted items from suppliers in dozens of countries are covered
by funds from the sale of Iraqi oil under the Oil-for-Food Programme
prior to the onset of hostilities in late March. At that time, the
Oil-for-Food Programme had some 5,000 contracts worth about $10
billion for food and other items approved and funded, awaiting
delivery. Although the Programme will be terminated on 21 November,
the delivery of prioritized goods and supplies will continue well
into 2004. (Posted 31 October 2003)
Value of Prioritized
Items Tops $6.3 billion
With less than four weeks
to the closure of the United Nations Iraq Programme (21 November),
about 63 per cent of the contracts for goods and supplies in the
Oil-for-Food pipeline have been prioritized for delivery, as
required under Security Council resolution 1483 (22 May).
Consultations between the
Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraqi experts and the United
Nations, have so far resulted in the prioritization of 3,170
contracts valued at $6.3 billion. UN agencies and programmes are
negotiating with suppliers to expedite delivery to locations where
they are most needed. About 40 per cent of the prioritized contracts
have so far been renegotiated.
The cost of the
contracted items from suppliers in dozens of countries are covered
by funds from the sale of Iraqi oil under the Oil-for-Food Programme
prior to the onset of hostilities in late March. At that time, the
Oil-for-Food Programme had some 5,000 contracts worth about $10
billion for food and other items approved and funded, awaiting
delivery. Although the Programme will be terminated on 21 November,
the delivery of prioritized goods and supplies will continue well
into 2004. (Posted 23 October 2003)
Executive
Director Briefs UN Security Council
The Executive Director of
the Office of the Iraq Programme, Mr. Benon V. Sevan, briefed
the Security Council on Monday 29 September on progress towards
the phasing down and termination of the Programme. He assured
Council members that despite chronic insecurity and the temporary
withdrawal of UN international staff from Iraq, the Programme would
meet its phasedown and closure deadline of 21 November.
Mr. Sevan said however,
that the uncertain situation in Iraq had compelled the Programme to
keep revising its options. "Most of our assumptions in
developing our exit strategies have been constantly overtaken by
events over which we have no control," he said. He noted that
the Programme needed a minimum of 115 international staff in the
northern governorates to meet its objectives for an orderly closure
and transfer of assets and responsibilities to the Coalition
Provisional Authority (CPA).
Mr. Sevan said that in
the absence of the minimum number of required international staff,
the only alternative course of action could be the transfer of
assets, ongoing operations and responsibility for the administration
of any remaining activity under the Programme to the Coalition
Provisional Authority (CPA) "as is", together with
the relevant documentation.(29 September 2003)
Prioritized
Items for Iraq Worth Almost $6.4 B
Consultations between the
Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraqi experts and the United
Nations, have so far resulted in the prioritization of 3,268
contracts valued at $6.37 billion. UN agencies and programmes are
negotiating with suppliers to expedite the delivery of these items
to locations where they are most needed.
The cost of contracted
goods and supplies from suppliers in dozens of countries are covered
by funds from the sale of Iraqi oil under the Oil-for-Food Programme
prior to the onset of hostilities in late March 2003. At that time,
the Oil-for-Food Programme had some 5,000 contracts worth about $10
billion for food and other items approved and funded, awaiting
delivery.
With less than eight
weeks to the closure of the United Nations Iraq Programme (21
November), about 65 per cent of the goods and supplies in the
Oil-for-Food pipeline have been prioritized for delivery, as
required under Security Council resolution 1483 (22 May). (Posted
23 September)
Value
of Prioritized Items Tops $6.3 billion
Consultations
between the Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraqi experts and the
United Nations, have so far resulted in the prioritization of 3,251
contracts valued at $6.36 billion. UN agencies and programmes are
negotiating with suppliers to expedite the delivery of these items
to locations where they are most needed.
The
cost of contracted goods and supplies from suppliers in dozens of
countries are covered by funds from the sale of Iraqi oil under the
Oil-for-Food Programme prior to the onset of hostilities in late
March 2003. At that time, the Oil-for-Food Programme had some 5,000
contracts worth about $10 billion for food and other items approved
and funded, awaiting delivery.
With
less than 10 weeks to the closure of the United Nations Iraq
Programme (21 November), about 65 per cent of the goods and supplies
in the Oil-for-Food pipeline have been prioritized for delivery, as
required under Security Council resolution 1483 (22 May).(Posted
16 September)
Value
of Prioritized Items Exceeds $5.5 billion
With 10 weeks to the
closure of the United Nations Iraq Programme (21 November), about 60
per cent of the goods and supplies in the Oil-for-Food pipeline have
been prioritized for delivery, as required under Security Council
resolution 1483 (22 May).
Consultations between the
Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraqi experts and the United
Nations, have so far resulted in the prioritization of 3,000
contracts valued at $5.59 billion. UN agencies and programmes are
negotiating with suppliers to expedite delivery to locations where
they are most needed.
The cost of the
contracted items from suppliers in dozens of countries are covered
by funds from the sale of Iraqi oil under the Oil-for-Food Programme
prior to the onset of hostilities in late March. At that time, the
Oil-for-Food Programme had some 5,000 contracts worth about $10
billion for food and other items approved and funded, awaiting
delivery. (Posted
12 September)
Value
of Items Prioritized for Iraq Approaches $4.5 billion
With
some 13 weeks to the closure of the United Nations Iraq Programme
(21 November), almost half the goods and supplies in the
Oil-for-Food pipeline have been prioritized for delivery, as
required under Security Council resolution 1483 (22 May).
Consultations
between the Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraqi experts and the
United Nations, have so far resulted in the prioritization of 2,422
contracts valued at more than $4.45 billion. UN agencies and
programmes are negotiating with suppliers to expedite delivery to
locations where they are most needed. The cost of the contracted
items from suppliers in dozens of countries are covered by funds
from the sale of Iraqi oil under the Oil-for-Food Programme prior to
the onset of hostilities in late March. At that time, the
Oil-for-Food Programme had some 5,000 contracts worth about $10
billion for food and other items approved and funded, awaiting
delivery.
Chickens
and eggs
The
Security Council 661 Committee this week approved a $31 million
project for the purchase of poultry feed and hatching eggs to boost
Iraq’s domestic poultry production in the second half of 2003. The
project will be administered by FAO with the active involvement of
local Iraqi institutions and authorities. It will be funded from the
Oil-for-Food escrow account.
Transport
and telecommunications
In
the past week, an additional 27 contracts totaling about $20 million
have been prioritized in the telecommunications sector. Among the
items are microwave radio equipment, cables, excavators and mobile
workshops. Also on the priority list are 50 transportation contracts
valued at some $146 million. They include railway equipment, various
types of wagons and spare parts, diesel locomotives and spare parts,
and a variety of vehicles including buses, water tankers and tug
boats, and associated spare parts. (Posted 22 August)
Prioritized
Food Contracts Top $1
billion for Week
Food contracts valued at
more than $1 billion have been prioritized in the past week for
delivery to Iraq following consultations between the Coalition
Provisional Authority, Iraqi experts and the United Nations. The
World Food Programme will work directly with contractors to expedite
shipments of most of the prioritized items which range from rice,
and milk powder to vegetable ghee and sugar ($439.4 million). WFP
will also manage food-handling items including machinery and spare
parts and crop fumigation supplies ($292.4 million). Funding for
these items is already covered under the Oil-for-Food Programme.
Another 136 food contracts valued at $212 million and 17 food
handling contracts ($13 million) which had been approved but not
funded, will be paid from funds in the Programme’s escrow account.
Also in the past week,
some 14
‘orphan’ contracts for food and related equipment ($134 million)
in transit to Iraq, were prioritized for adoption by the United
Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS). Forty two contracts for
some $23.7 million worth of agricultural items have also been
prioritized. The contracted items range from forklift trucks to
tractor spare parts and irrigation equipment.
OIP Executive Director in
Iraq
The Executive Director of
the Iraq Programme, Mr. Benon V. Sevan, has been in Iraq since 6
August for discussions with UN agencies, Iraqi Ministries and the
CPA, regarding closure and handover arrangements for the
Oil-for-Food Programme by 21 November.
Authentication of
arriving goods
In a letter to the
Coalition Provisional Authority on 9 August 2003, Mr. Sevan
confirmed new arrangements for the inspection and authentication of
goods prioritized under resolution 1483 (2003). Subject to security
assessment and clearance, the United Nations independent inspection
agents (Cotecna) will be deployed to operational bases at Zakho, Umm
Qasr, Basrah, Baghdad and Kirkuk. Cotecna inspectors will also
travel as needed, to inspect and authenticate arriving goods at some
50 other agreed delivery locations inside the country. On 21
November the responsibility for authenticating goods will pass to
the CPA. (Posted 18 August 2003)
Education and
Agriculture to Benefit From New Funding Approvals
The Security Council 661
Committee this week agreed to a request from the Office of the Iraq
Programme to fund text book production for 5.5 million Iraqi
students and 25,000 teacher trainees in the 2003/2004 academic year.
The $72.3 million project submitted by UNICEF, the Coalition
Provisional Authority (CPA), and interim Iraqi Ministries of
Education and Higher Education, aims to print more than 66 million
copies of newly edited primary, intermediate, preparatory and
vocational textbooks for nationwide distribution.
As much printing as
possible will be done inside Iraq to boost local capacity and job
opportunities. In past years, the Ministry of Education recycled 50
per cent of the nation’s textbooks each year and printed just 10
per cent of the new stock locally.
Most of Iraq’s existing
textbooks and education resources were looted or burned following
the war. Adding to the replacement challenge for 2003/2004, is a
decision to edit propagandist statements from school texts without
changing the educational content. Some 509 titles are up for
replacement this year.
Also approved this week
were:
- a $104.1 million
project submitted by FAO, the CPA and the Interim Ministry of
Agriculture for fertilizer for Iraq’s winter wheat and barley
crops; and
- $6.8 million for
fungicides to control ‘smut’ - a disease affecting wheat and
barley seeds.(Posted 5 August)
Prioritized
Items Destined for
Iraq Total $2.5 billion
Weekly meetings of UN and
Iraqi experts and advisors of the Coalition Provisional Authority
(CPA) have so far produced a list of 1,612 prioritized contracts
valued at almost $2.5 billion for early delivery to Iraq. The
contracts contain items considered by all parties to have
"relative utility" based on preliminary assessments of
Iraq’s needs.
The relevant UN agencies
and programmes are working directly with the suppliers concerned to
amend the contracts and expedite shipments.
Added to the list this
week are 116 contracts worth almost $358 million for the agriculture
sector and 10 contracts valued at $23.6 million for the education
sector.
(Posted
29 July 2003)
Oil-for-Food
Supplies Stranded by War
are Safely Delivered
The
Oil-for-Food Programme has confirmed that some $57 million worth of
goods and supplies stranded at Iraq’s borders by the onset of war
on 17 March have been safely received and delivered into the
country. Official confirmation of the arrivals has freed up payments
to contractors in more than 20 countries.
The
stranded goods had reached Iraq when UN Secretary-General, Kofi
Annan ordered the withdrawal of all UN international staff for their
safety. Without the UN’s independent inspection agents to inspect
and authenticate arriving goods, the suppliers could not be paid by
the Programme. The contracted items ranged from table salt and
medicines to irrigation systems, lumber and electrical transformers,
that were delivered to the port of Umm Qasr and to land-based entry
points bordering Turkey, Syria and Jordan. This week’s
confirmation means that some 86 per cent of the total reported cases
of stranded goods have been resolved. Other cases are awaiting
appropriate documentation. (Posted 24 July 2003)
Supplies Worth $1.9
billion Prioritized for Early Delivery
Multi
million dollar contracts for heavy equipment and spare parts for
Iraq’s oil and electricity sectors have been prioritized for
immediate delivery following consultations this month with the
Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), Iraqi representatives and UN
agencies.
The
contracts, chosen from the Oil-for-Food Programme’s humanitarian
pipeline are fully funded from pre-war oil sales and include items
urgently needed for the rehabilitation of Iraq’s infrastructure.
Regular weekly meetings of UN and Iraqi experts and CPA advisors
have so far produced a list of 1,419 contracts with items totaling
$1.95 billion, including the oil sector ($1.038 billion);
electricity ($794 million); water and sanitation ($54 million);
Youth and Sports ($19.4 million); Labor and Social Affairs ($11
million). Prioritized contracts listed by sector and country of
origin will be posted on this website.
The
dimensions of this month’s list, with more items and sectors to
follow, indicates the importance given to immediate needs in the
electricity and oil sectors. The lists of contracts in each sector
represent more than 70 per cent of the total approved and funded
contracts contained in the Oil-for-Food pipeline for these sectors.(Posted
17 July 2003)
$188 million Purchase of
Iraqi Grain Approved
With the lifting of
sanctions against Iraq, the Oil-for-Food Programme has announced the
approval of its first local purchases of grain.
In a 26 June briefing of
the Security Council, the Executive Director of the Programme, Mr.
Benon Sevan, said a World Food Programme project for the local
procurement of 1.25 million tons of wheat, valued at more than
$152.4 million, was approved on 28 May and an FAO project to
purchase 500,000 tons of barley, valued at $35.4, was approved on 11
June. Also under consideration is the spending of some $97 million
for the local printing of all Iraqi schoolbooks for the next
academic year.
"The start of local
procurement is a most welcome development," Mr. Sevan said.
"It should be allowed to continue and expand as the most
expeditious and cost-effective way of procuring the required goods
and services. Moreover, it would also help to jump-start the economy
and provide opportunities for gainful employment."
Since its establishment
in 1996, the Programme has delivered some $28 Billion in
humanitarian goods and supplies to Iraq, but until the adoption of
resolution 1483 lifting sanctions on 22 May, it was required to
import these items from abroad.
Mr. Sevan also told
Council members that the total value of priority items identified so
far from the Programme’s humanitarian delivery pipeline that could
be shipped to Iraq for emergency needs has reached $1.4 billion.
This includes food ($748 million), and goods and supplies for the
electricity ($297 million), agriculture ($184 million) and health
($126 million) and water and sanitation ($40 million) sectors.
Mr. Sevan said the
coalition Authority had expressed its intention to accelerate the
process of submitting requests for the prioritization of contracts
for expeditious delivery to Iraq. Under consideration, are
procedures for the handling of oil sector contracts valued at some
$1.9 billion.(Posted 26 June 2003)
Food
and Electricity Sectors Lead Priority Shipment List for Iraq
The total value of
priority items from the Oil-for-Food Programme’s humanitarian
pipeline that can be shipped to Iraq for emergency needs has reached
$1.2 billion. Most of these supplies are in the food ($551 million),
electricity ($293 million), agriculture ($184 million) and health
($126 million) sectors.
The Office of the Iraq
Programme and UN a gencies
and programmes actively involved in the review of the Oil-for-Food
pipeline, will coordinate with the Authority representing the
occupying powers, to prioritize contracts for the next six months,
as provided under Security
Council resolution 1483 of 22 May, 2003. (Posted 4 June)
Value
of Shippable Priority Items
Exceeds $1 Billion
The total value of
priority items that can be shipped to Iraq from the Oil-for-Food
Programme’s humanitarian pipeline for emergency needs has reached
$1.1 billion. Most of these supplies are in the food ($515 million),
electricity ($261 million), agriculture ($182 million) and health
($128 million) sectors.
The
UN agencies and programmes actively involved in the review of the
Oil-for-Food pipeline - FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, WFP – are
currently looking at additional contracts worth some $330 million,
and the volume of these items destined for Iraq is expected
to accelerate with a six month extension of the Programme to 21
November, adopted under Security Council resolution 1483
on 22 May. (Posted 28 May)
Food
and Heavy Equipment in Transit to Iraq
The
total value of priority items from the Oil-for-Food Programme’s
humanitarian pipeline that can be shipped to Iraq by 3 June has
reached $778 million. Most of these supplies are in the food ($356
million), electricity ($179 million), agriculture ($119 million) and
health ($81 million) sectors. More than half (55 per cent) of those
goods and supplies are already in transit to Iraq.
The
UN agencies and programmes actively involved
in the review of the Oil-for-Food pipeline - FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO,
WFP – are currently reviewing additional ‘shippable’ contracts
worth some $350 million. Most of these contracts are in the
agriculture, health and food sectors.
Among
the priority items are a floating crane for the removal of
shipwrecks now obstructing some berths at the port of Umm Qasr, and
harbour dredgers to increase the draft available to ships carrying
humanitarian supplies.(Posted 13 May)
Priority
Items Reach Transit Ports
Priority items from the
Oil-for-Food Programme’s humanitarian pipeline continue to arrive
at transit ports in countries neighbouring Iraq. In the past week,
UN agencies have reported the delivery of goods ranging from water
tanks to vitamins, to school supplies, at transshipment areas in
Turkey, Kuwait, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Truck convoys
are hauling the goods across borders into Iraq once inspection and
authentication of the supplies is completed. (Posted 6 May)
Value
of "Shippable" Items Reaches $549 million
The
value of priority goods and supplies that can be shipped to Iraq
from the Oil-for-Food pipeline within the new 3 June timeline
offered by Security Council resolution
1476 (2003), reached $548.6 million this week. The
increased value of shippable items from last week’s total of $455
million was directly related to the extension of time granted to
suppliers under the new resolution.
Food
shipments arrive Oil-for-Food shipments to the Jordanian port of
Aqaba this week included 20,000 tons of bagged rice and 12,500 tons
of bagged sugar. Fifty thousand tons of wheat arrived in Kuwait last
week. Shipments into northern Iraq this week included 2,479 metric
tonnes of high energy biscuits and 2,008 metric tonnes of sugar.
(Posted
2 May 2003)
Value
of “Shippable” Priority Items for Iraq Reaches $455m
The
value of priority goods and supplies that can be shipped to Iraq
from the Oil-for-Food pipeline within the 12 May timeline offered by
Security Council resolution 1472 (2003) reached $454.6 million this
week. Most of these supplies, covered by 160 contracts, are in the
food ($236.4 million), electricity ($119.3 million) and health
($53.1 million) sectors and are already in transit to Iraq. Resolution
1472 (2003) of 28 March gives the Programme a 45-day window for
shipping priority items identified as food, medicines, health
supplies and water and sanitation supplies.
The
Office of the Iraq Programme and UN agencies and programmes are
continuing to identify the most easily accessible priority items in
the pipeline and negotiate with suppliers to speed the shipment of
supplies under already approved contracts.
(Posted
22 April 2003)
Pipeline
Review Confirms $395
million in Supplies for Shipment
by 12 May
An
ongoing review of priority items in the Oil-for-Food pipeline for
Iraq has so far identified $395 million worth of supplies that are
“shippable” within the 45-day timeline adopted last month by the
UN Security Council.
Most
of the goods confirmed with 137 suppliers are in the food ($181.7
million), agriculture ($103.8 million) and health ($46.1 million)
sectors. Most were already in transit at the onset of the war and
will be routed to strategic locations in Turkey, Syria, Jordan,
Kuwait and Iran for transhipment to Iraq.
The
Office of the Iraq Programme and six UN agencies and organizations
(*) continue a race against the clock to identify priority items
specified by the Security Council – food, medicines, health
supplies, water and sanitation equipment and supplies – that can
be extracted from the pipeline and shipped by 12 May as required in resolution
1472 (2003) of 28 March. (Posted
15 April 2003)
Dredging Equipment
Approved for Iraqi Ports
The
Security Council Sanctions Committee has given the Oil-for-Food
Programme approval to contract for dredging equipment valued at
$19.7 million to deepen waterways to Umm Qasr and other Iraqi ports.
The equipment includes two dredgers and spare parts to recommission
six others. The dredgers will be used to clear silt from the entry
channels and main berths to Umm Qasr, Basrah and Khor El Zabair.
Heavy silting already places significant limits on the size of
vessels that can dock and could seriously hamper attempts to deliver
humanitarian aid. (Posted 8 April 2003)
Security
Council Briefed On Implementation of Resolution 1472
(2003)
The
Executive Director of the Office of the Iraq Programme, Mr. Benon V.
Sevan briefed
members of the Security Council on 8
April on the implementation of resolution
1472 (2003).Mr.
Sevan outlined steps taken since the resolution’s adoption (28
March) to identify priority items in the Oil-for-Food pipeline,
communicate with UN Permanent Missions and suppliers and to arrange
shipment of selected goods and supplies to strategic ports in
Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait and Iran before 12 May. (See story
below)The Security Council has identified foodstuffs, medicines,
health and water and sanitation-related supplies as priorities for
shipment to Iraq.
(Posted 8 April 2003)
Four
Regional Ports Identified for Transhipment of Emergency Supplies
The
Oil-for-Food Programme has identified four new locations for the
delivery and transhipment of emergency food and other items to Iraq
once security conditions allow.
The
new locations, with more expected to follow, are the Mediterranean
seaports of Latakia
(Syria), Iskenderun (Turkey), the Jordanian port of Aqaba on the Red
Sea and the Gulf port at Kuwait City. Each offers the
advantages of bulk handling facilities, warehousing for supplies and
good road links with Iraq.
(Posted 8 April 2003)
Contractors
Urged to
Meet Supply
Deadline for Iraq
The
Oil-for-Food Programme and six UN agencies, are working against the
clock to contact suppliers of priority food, medical and other
humanitarian goods and accelerate shipments to Iraq.
A
list of the priority
items has been posted on the Programme website with a questionnaire
seeking estimates from suppliers of approved contracts for such
goods as to how long it would take to land the goods at strategic
locations in the region. A preliminary list of priority contracts
identifies more than 470 contracts, the countries of origin and the
goods expected. Suppliers from some 40 countries are represented on
the list.
On
28 March, the Security Council adopted a
resolution
1472 (2003) granting
authority to the Secretary-General for 45 days to expedite urgently
needed goods already in the Oil-for-Food pipeline. The
Programme has $10.1 billion worth of supplies in the pipeline and $2.9 billion in uncommitted escrow funds.
The
UN agencies: UNDP, WFP, FAO, WHO, UNHCR and UNICEF, have ‘adopted’
some priority items that are already in transit and which fit their
specialized needs. They will soon contact the respective suppliers
to redirect and speed shipment to the most advantageous locations.
Priority
goods already on the high seas include wheat, barley, milk powder,
sugar and vegetable oil, as well as medical equipment, irrigation
sprinklers for agriculture, gas turbine generators, water pumps,
plastic sheeting, vehicles and spare parts.
The
Oil-for-Food Programme has also posted a more general
list of priority items and asked suppliers with approved
contracts to make contact if they are willing and able to ship the
goods soon. (Posted 28 March 2003)
Oil-for-Food
Programme Adjusted to
Meet Emergency
Needs
A
resolution was adopted unanimously by the Security Council on 28
March to adjust the Oil-for-Food Programme and give the
Secretary-General authority to facilitate the delivery and receipt
of goods contracted by the Government of Iraq for the humanitarian
needs of its people.
The
resolution is aimed at prioritizing
and speeding the delivery of humanitarian goods and supplies already
in the Oil-for-Food pipeline for Iraqis inside and outside the
country, over the next 45 days.
Among
the changes to accomplish this are provisions authorizing the
Secretary-General to:
.
establish alternative locations inside and outside Iraq for the
delivery, inspection and authentication of supplies and equipment
under the Programme and to redirect shipments to those locations as
necessary;
.
urgently review approved funded and non-funded contracts
concluded by the Government of Iraq to determine priorities for the
shipment of medicine, health supplies, foodstuffs and other
materials;
.
contact suppliers to determines the precise location of contracted
goods and, where necessary, delay, accelerate or divert shipments;
.
negotiate and agree on necessary adjustments to contracts and
letters of credit and negotiate new contracts for essential medical
supplies. (Posted 28 March)
Suppliers
Asked to Respond to Urgent Needs
Suppliers
with contracted goods in transit to Iraq under the Oil-for-Food
Programme have been asked to identify the location of their
in-transit goods on land and sea. On 28 March, the programme instructed
suppliers of such goods to provide details of their
respective shipments to the Office of Iraq Programme through their
Permanent Missions to the United Nations.
The
Office of Iraq Programme and the relevant United Nations agencies
and programmes have also prepared a list of contracts containing
goods that
are considered immediate priorities in the light of present
circumstances. These contracts contain food items, medicines and
basic medical supplies, some water-sanitation and electricity
supplies, basic agricultural supplies and, in some cases, support
equipment such as vehicles and diesel generators.
The list will continue to be reviewed in the light of
changing needs, and suppliers for such goods may be contacted for
the purpose of establishing the status of goods and, at a later
stage, possible shipping of the goods. (Posted 30 March)
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