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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Washington File

23 April 2003

Oil-for-Food Program Sending $454 Million in Supplies to Iraq

(U.N. Security Council reviews program with head of Iraq Program
office) (710)
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- The head of the Oil-for-Food program urged the U.N.
Security Council April 22 to extend the special mandate of the program
to early June to ensure that humanitarian supplies can be delivered to
the Iraqi people.
Benon Sevan, executive director of the U.N. Office of the Iraq
Program, said the international community "cannot just cut the
umbilical cord" which has fed more than 14 million Iraqis since 1996.
Meeting with the council in private session, Sevan said that "the
council may wish to consider extending the provisions of resolution
1472 (which authorizes use of Oil-for- Food money for emergency
humanitarian aid) up to June 3, 2003 -- a simple technical rollover --
to coincide with the end of the mandate of the current phase XIII of
the humanitarian program in Iraq."
Sevan oversees the Oil-for-Food program under which Iraq sells oil to
buy food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies for Iraqi civilians
while the U.N. sanctions regime is in place. The program was suspended
March 17 when U.N. staff was withdrawn from Iraq on the eve of
hostilities.
On March 28 the Security Council authorized the U.N. secretary general
to make the necessary adjustments in the program in order to use the
more than $9 billion in the Oil-for-Food program to provide emergency
humanitarian aid to Iraqi civilians under current conditions for an
initial period of 45 days, until May 12. The current mandate for the
Oil-for-Food program is to expire June 3.
The program has been trying to untangle the web of contracts for a
wide range of supplies -- including not only food and medicine but
also such items as spare parts for Iraq's oil industry -- in order to
redirect them to provide emergency food and medicine.
Sevan said that the program will be able to deliver only a small
portion of aid by the May 12 deadline set in the council resolution.
He said that 11 of the 45 days were lost while the council's sanctions
committee decided on procedures. Thus only a limited number of
contracts, worth $454.6 million out of the $9 billion, could be
processed.
"An extension of 21 days to June 3 would not only recover the 11 days
lost but also provide us with the opportunity to utilize additional
supplies available in the pipeline," said Sevan.
"The 45-day deadline remains the main reason for the relatively
limited number of contracts that could be processed," he said.
Sevan described the task as "daunting." He said that U.N. staff had to
review almost 11,000 contracts executed by the Iraqi government,
containing more than 525,000 items, not only for the purpose of
prioritizing them but also to determine with suppliers whether the
urgently needed items could be delivered by May 12.
It has been determined that 160 contracts worth $454 million can meet
that date, contracts that include $236.4 million worth of food, $119.3
million for electricity, and $53.1 million for health needs.
Before the war 560,000 metric tons of food rations, valued at $212
million, were being delivered nationwide every month, Sevan reported.
Over 90 percent of the population relied on the monthly food basket,
and it was the main source of food for 60 percent of Iraqis.
Sevan also pointed out that "reliance will not stop as of 3 June
2003," when the current mandate ends. "If anything, with the current
uncertainties and difficulties, the Iraqi people will be even more
dependent unless there is quick economic recovery," he said.
He appealed to the council to introduce changes to the program
gradually in order to avoid further disruptions in the day-to-day
lives of the Iraqi people.
Security Council President Ambassador Adolfo Aguilar Zinser of Mexico
said that a draft resolution has been given to council members that
would extend the current Oil-for-Food operation until June 3. The
president said he was hopeful that a decision on the technical
rollover could be taken by the end of the week.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)



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