Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Situation Report No. 1
Middle East Emergency Preparedness MEEP-21
Iraq and Region
March 21, 2003


Information provided by:
ACT Regional Coordinator, Eszter Németh
ACT Regional Coordination Office
Amman
Jordan

Overview of situation:  As the US-led military action against Iraq steps
up, it is feared that the long-standing humanitarian crisis in Iraq will
be exacerbated and affect neighboring countries -- Jordan, Syria, Iran,
Turkey and Lebanon -- where displaced persons will most likely seek
refuge.Prior to the war, some pre-positioning and stockpiling of relief
supplies had already begun in Iraq and Jordan. Decades of war,
international sanctions and the actions of its regime have crippled the
country's infrastructure, leaving the people of Iraq extremely vulnerable.
Extensive human suffering is an inevitable and predictable consequence of
military action. The immediate human costs of military action are likely
to include civilian casualties, possible displacement of people and the
breakdown of state functions.

ACT is responding to the emergency in Iraq though local member Middle East
Council of Churches (MECC), UK-based Christian Aid (CA), Norwegian Church
Aid (NCA), Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Dutch-based Inter
Church Organization for Development Cooperation/Kerkinactie (ICCO/KiA).
All members have longstanding commitments to the people of the Middle
East. CA and ICCO/KiA are working through local partners in Northern Iraq.

Program information:


Iraq:

MECC in Baghdad has procured emergency kits, food and water tanks. 50
wells that were drilled earlier at churches in Baghdad, have had pumps put
in and are now operational. MECC is also buying blankets, even while
hostilities occur in the city.

Procurements for Kirkuk and Basra were done earlier in Baghdad and the
relief items have been transported to warehouses in these towns. In Mosul,
procurements were done by the local inter-church committee.

NCA has a joint water project with the Iraqi Red Crescent in Baghdad,
having provided water equipment that will make drinking water available to
about 20,000 people. NCA's water purification unit (WPU) is being used in
the largest hospital in Baghdad, ensuring that water will be available
should there be a breakdown in the general water supply. Four more WPUs
are expected to arrive to Amman soon.

At least eight major relief centers and 44 smaller centers where people
can seek refuge have been established in Iraq by MECC through local
churches and mosques. The centers are concentrated around four cities:
Baghdad, Kirkuk, Mosul and Basra.

(see map at: http://act-intl.org/news/dt_nr_2003/dtiraq0203.html for
placement of relief centers in Baghdad and vicinity)


Jordan:

Work at Camp "A", with a capacity to shelter 17,000 people and earmarked
for Iraqi refugees, has started. NCA/MECC has concluded a co-operation
agreement with UNHCR regarding sanitation. 242 pit latrines are in the
process of being set up. Flushing (water) toilets will also be built to
serve 6,400 persons. NCA will be responsible for solid waste management.

MECC is compiling 500 food parcels for 500 families to last for 3 months.
Each parcel (provided every two weeks) will contain the following items:

   0,9 kg processed cheese 
   0,5 kg tea
   0,5 kg white beans
   0,5 kg lentils
   0,5 kg chick peas
   0,5 kg beans
   0,9 kg milk powder
   tomato paste
   7 kg sugar
   10 kg rice
   3,8 l cooking oil
   1,7 l ghee 
   6 bars of soap
   and 0,4 kg detergent. 

(The food parcels will be distributed in camp "A") 



MECC has also released 64 winterized tents with heaters from its stocks to
UNHCR to be used for the most vulnerable families in camp "A". Other
non-food items will include kitchen sets, first aid kits and hygiene kits.

Security: Expatriate staff of members of ACT working in Amman, Jordan have
been cautioned, as a safety precaution, not to make use of taxis for now,
although no threats against them have occurred. The staff have also
registered with their respective embassies in Amman and have obtained
Egyptian visas in case they need to be evacuated.

A few airlines such as Turkish Airline and Alitalia are still flying into
Amman.


Syria:

The Syrian government has started work on the camp at Al-Hol.

MECC's operational center will be Aleppo, while the office in Damascus
will liaise with the government and UN.


Turkey:

Turkish ACT (TACT) is ready to provide assistance in the Monastery of Mor
Gabriel for refugees arriving from Northern Iraq.


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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response.  The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of 
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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