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Iraq
The Development Challenge: USAID began contingency planning for possible humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in post-conflict Iraq in late 2002. USAID was prepared to mobilize development resources and technical expertise to support any humanitarian relief and reconstruction requirements. Prior to the conflict, the U.S. Government had provided nearly $794 million in humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Iraq between 1991 and 1996.
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On March 20, 2003, coalition forces began military operations in Iraq. On May 1, 2003, 42 days after the conflict began, U.S. President Bush announced the cessation of major combat operations. The U.S. Government deployed a multi-agency disaster assistance response team (DART) to the region to assess and respond to humanitarian needs and to help coordinate the emergency relief effort. At the same time, USAID deployed a number of technical staff to prepare for immediate reconstruction requirements. USAID established offices in Arbil, Baghdad, Al Hillah, and Al Basrah, with USAID personnel located in Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Cyprus providing regional support. USAID's program in Iraq supports the objectives of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and involves working closely with United Nations Agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and coordinating with U.S. Military Civil Affairs personnel.
The USAID Program: On July 27, 2003, USAID officially announced the formation of its Mission to Iraq at the USAID office in Baghdad. Currently, the USAID Mission is working closely with the people of Iraq, the CPA, NGOs, private sector partners, and United Nations involved with relief and reconstruction efforts. USAID implements assistance programs in education, food security, infrastructure, telecommunications, seaports and airports, transportation, local governance, health, electricity, water, and sanitation.
The process for allocating USAID operating and administrative expenses under the Iraq Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Fund (IRRF) II is yet to be agreed upon and discussions are on-going on this subject.
Other Program Elements: Other program elements include other U.S. Government offices such as USAID's Asia and Near-East Bureau, Office for Transition Initiatives (OTI), Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), Food for Peace (FFP), the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of State.
Other Donors: International support for humanitarian assistance and reconstruction in Iraq is being provided either bilaterally, as grants, loans, export credits and guarantees or assistance-in-kind, or multilaterally through international organizations, including the World Bank and United Nations International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq. Other major donors of humanitarian are providing support through UN agencies as well as directly to the Iraqi people as assistance-in-kind. These donors include Japan, United Kingdom, European Commission, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Spain, Kuwait, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Italy. In October 2003, the International Donors Conference for Iraq Reconstruction held in Madrid, Spain drew representatives from 73 countries and 20 international organizations. Major pledges were received from Japan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Korea, Canada, and Qatar. Donors other than the United States pledged loans and grants totaling a minimum of $13 billion. That figure is based on the low end of the range of assistance offered by the World Bank, which pledged $2.5 - $4.5 billion, and the International Monetary Fund, which pledged $1.7 - $3.4 billion. With the U.S. contribution, the total amount of grants and loans that the international community pledged toward Iraq reconstruction is at least $32 billion.
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