Civil Military Operations Center opens in Fallujah
FALLUJAH, Iraq - Multi-National Forces established a Civil Military Operations Center in Fallujah Nov. 21 in order to assist the Military Provincial Governor of Fallujah with providing support to humanitarian relief activities, municipal government administration and the contracting of Iraqi companies to begin reconstruction projects.
The center staff will manage immediate impact projects that provide relief assistance in the near term while planning for projects that coordinate critical repairs and reconstruction. Funding for such projects will also provide jobs and economic support in the Fallujah area.
The CMOC is staffed with reserve military personnel that possess job specialties in humanitarian assistance, municipal government, judicial court systems, reconstruction, medical support and engineering.
The CMOC currently has multiple Civil Affairs teams conducting assessments throughout the city. The CA teams are removing safety hazards such as rubble and standing sewage water. They are marking unsafe buildings, identifying essential service repairs and preparing to stage humanitarian assistance supplies in the city. The Provincial Military Governor of Fallujah receives a daily assessment brief with project priority recommendations.
A critical piece to future relief efforts will be support from various non-governmental organizations assisting with donations. NGOs seeking to assist humanitarian efforts with supplies are being directed to a central distribution site. Supplies will be further distributed throughout the city once it is determine to be safe for citizens to re-enter. It is the intent of all involved to include Iraqi companies in the distribution of stored humanitarian assistance supplies as a means to start reemploying military aged men. CMOC representatives will actively seek contracting bids from established trucking companies based in and around Fallujah.
Currently the Iraqi Government, in coordination with Civil Affairs teams embedded throughout the city, are providing humanitarian services and supplies to citizens remaining in the city. Military ground commanders are allowing citizens to leave their homes during a four-hour period in the middle of the day to seek assistance. However, civil affairs officers are not seeing a high demand at this time.
There are no indications of a humanitarian crisis or shortage of relief supplies. The government and the coalition expect and are prepared for a much greater demand for humanitarian aid as residents start returning to the city.
Release #041121f
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