1. OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

The fuels supply situation Iraq was very complex this past week, with acute gasoline and LPG shortages in Basra and the south being a major factor in the worst civil unrest in the city since the conflict.

The fixed passenger flight schedule is on the website.
UNHAS now has a duty officer who can be contacted in case of EMERGENCIES ONLY.

2. SECURITY

Iraq: Baghdad: Security phase 4. Security remains unstable in Baghdad. The use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are increasingly sophisticated and mortars are being used with more frequency. This week an oil pipeline in the North of Baghdad was damaged; it is unclear if the damage was causes accidentally or if it was the work of saboteurs.

Mosul: Security phase 4. A number of security incidents have been reported in the northern governorates. No casualties reported.

Basrah: Security phase 4. Riots broke in Basrah on 9th August when tensions grew over prices and fuel availability at a local gasoline station. The violence quickly spread to other fuel stations across the city. Vehicles passing in close vicinity were attacked with stones, and two private cars were burned. On 10 August, a Nepalese security guard delivering mail for the UN was killed; one Iraqi was also reported killed by gunfire during rioting. The political situation in Basrah has deteriorated significantly after the occurrence.

All UN operations in Basrah have been suspended until further notice. Security Phase 4 remains in all the area; curfew for international staff prevails from 2000 to 0600 hours.

Al Hillah: Security phase 4. Following attacks on humanitarian targets, the roads between Baghdad and Al Hillah (routes 1 and 8) are, for the time being, closed to UN traffic.

Jordan: The country remains at security phase 1.

A complete daily listing of security incidents can be found in the "latest press releases" section of the www.centcom.mil.

3. AIR OPERATIONS

The fixed passenger flight schedule is on the website. The standard baggage allowance is now 25kgs. If passengers have a requirement to carry more than the standard allowance, a special application must be made at the time of booking.

Speculation about the re-opening of Baghdad International Airport to commercial traffic now suggests that the airport will not now open in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, we continue to hear about plans by commercial operators to begin services but no confirmation that they have in fact started.

We await a response from the Office of the Coalition Provisional Authority (OCPA) to our request for the easing of flight restrictions in Iraqi airspace. Our request includes: an easing of the need to arrive at destination within +/- 5 minutes; a greater selection (particularly higher) flight levels; more direct routing between the Jordanian and Syrian entry points and Northern and Southern destinations; and early availability of aviation fuel.

UNHAS Aircraft assets and utilisation

The UNHAS fleet currently consists of:

a. Passenger Aircraft. Two Beechcraft 1900 and an ATR 42. The ATR 42 now operates 6 times a week between Amman and Baghdad. In theory this aircraft can carry 48 passengers with 25kg of baggage each and one tonne of cargo. However, lack of availability of fuel together with restrictions on passengers processing in Baghdad, limits the planned passenger load to 30 for the time being.

b. Cargo Aircraft. After a comparatively short time providing humanitarian cargo airlift, the C130 aircraft generously placed at the disposal of the UN by the government of Japan have carried a most useful total of 140 tonnes. In order to complete the Mission on time, two aircraft were operated at various times during the last week. The last flight took place on 12 Aug 03. The Japanese aircraft have flown with exemplary reliability and punctuality. It is to be hoped that, with this experience gained, the government of Japan will be able to provide similar support to future UN humanitarian airlift operations.

Since the start of the operation, a total of 1790 tonnes of cargo have been moved by air. In terms of the future air cargo capacity, the only remaining capacity is now for small very urgent items compatible with either the Beechcraft aircraft or ATR 42.

Passenger and cargo procedures

With effect from 13 Aug 03, responsibility for air cargo bookings has passed to UNHAS. The established procedures remain in place as does the requirement for use the "Cargo Movreq" form, with both pages complete in all respects. See para 10.

4. BORDER CROSSING AND CUSTOMS

Steve Gowing, UNJLC Customs Advisor, arrived in Erbil on Thursday, 7 August. UNJLC visited the Turkish/Iraqi border crossing on Friday, 8 August.

The main purpose of the visit was to assess the prevailing conditions at the Iraqi/Turkish entry points. The secondary purpose was to initiate informal discussions with the Kurdish Authorities regarding the withdrawal of UN equipment from the region.

On the Iraqi side, the entry point at Zacho is the only operational entry point between Iraq and Turkey. There are two others, both currently non-operational and unmanned. It is not certain if there are any immediate plans to open them up. Zacho is fully operational, and WFP and UNOCHI maintain a permanent presence at the border. There are no specific lanes for humanitarian aid traffic. However there is a system in place whereby all the humanitarian aid traffic is marshalled into a compound and all paperwork is then processed with the assistance of the UNOCHI and WFP staff.

As for the Turkish side, the Authorities have opened the border controls up to a 24-hour, seven day a week operating schedule. There is no specific system for humanitarian aid traffic. The WFP logistics assistant reports that there are no problems or bottlenecks. He reported that the average clearance time would typically be about two and half hours.
The Customs Advisor finds that there appears to be no need to supplement the existing regimes in place at the border to monitor the flow of humanitarian aid traffic. The entry point is running smoothly. The need to keep a source of information at the border crossing is essential, due to the obvious instability of the situation that exists within Iraq. We need to be able to react to any potential changes or problems as they arise. The good working relationship that exists between the UNJLC field staff and WFP and UNOCHI should be sufficient to ensure an up to date picture of events at the border is maintained.

There are concerns at the Jordanian/Iraqi (Al-Karamah/ Trebil) border regarding the involvement of some Iraqi customs officers in the smuggling of brass into Jordan. On the evening of Aug 8th, 5 trucks moving westbound into Jordan, were searched by a soldier from 3rd ACR and discovered it contained brass as cargo. Further investigations and interviews conducted with the truck drivers revealed that a bribery deal had been prearranged between the shipping company's businessmen and certain employees of the Iraqi customs. As a result, the translator, customs inspectors, two customs police and a general worker involved in the attempted smuggling were fired. As a result, 3rd ACR will be monitoring the operations of the Iraqi customs officials more closely.

A border crossing map is available at http://www.unjlc.org/iraq/ep/01_01.html

5. TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

Nothing to report.

5.1 UMM QASR PORT UPDATE

Dredging and repair continues at Um Qasr.

Customs/Immigration at the port is working well. A passenger vessel from the Emirates is now calling on a regular basis with no major problems so far.

Delays are reported at Mina Al Bakr Oil Terminal due to technical complications. Despite the delays several vessels are being attended at the terminal.

For a more complete weekly update about Umm Qasr see http://www.unjlc.org/iraq/infrastructure/a_01_01.html

6. LOGISTICS COORDINATION

UNJLC Basrah is supporting the provision of fuel for WFP operations in the lower and uppoer south areas to mills, silos, UN vehicles and WFP contractors. UNJLC is facilitating tanks and fuel distribution.

7. CIVIL-MILITARY COORDINATION

UNJLC Erbil met with the CPA and Ministry of oil staff to discuss the use of LPG cylinders that UNJLC had identified at Taji that are in usable condition and can be distributed to the local population.

8. FUEL

This week, UNJLC had the honour to be invited to directly brief the Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority, Ambassador Paul J. Bremer III, on the fuels situation in Iraq, and its views on how it may be best addressed. In attendance at the briefing were UNJLC Operations Co-ordinator Mr. Adrian van der Knaap, Head of Fuel Planning Team Mr. John Levins and Area Co-ordinator and Head of Office, Baghdad, Mr. Jens Grims. From the Coalition side, in addition to Mr. Bremer, Oil Advisor Mr. Gary Vogler and Mr. Bremer's aide, Mr. Justin Lemmon attended.

The fuels supply situation Iraq was very complex this past week, with acute gasoline and LPG shortages in Basra and the south being a major factor in the worst civil unrest in the city since the conflict. Elsewhere, gasoline was in short supply, especially in the north but at levels that the populace has become used to. Major shortages of LPG and diesel continue. LPG is generally less available in the south and upper south and in the three primarily Kurdish northern governorates than elsewhere in the north and Baghdad. Conversely, diesel is generally less available in the north than in the south and Baghdad.

It is increasingly evident that equitable and effective distribution of fuels is a challenge countywide. Adequacy of supply, although vital, is but one half of the equation. The Coalition's commitment to this and the importance of adequate fuel supplies to local security was amply demonstrated with imports of very large amounts of gasoline, and quantities of LPG, into Basra and the south from Kuwait, and the establishment of military control over the city's petrol stations and tanker trucks supplying them. The Coalition's ability to respond with supplies on a surge basis is evident but may not be sustainable.

Whilst the responsible elements of the Ministry of Oil, which has primary responsibility for distribution, appear to be doing their best, their effectiveness is hampered by patchy communications between regions and the centre, inadequate vehicles, pay and authority for inspectors, labour unrest, and more profitable work available for truck drivers.

Southern crude oil production was adversely affected by local power problems and the unrest, falling to perhaps a third of the levels achieved in recent weeks. Nevertheless, nationally, there is an abundance of crude but pipeline disruptions, unstable power and the low refinery productivity levels mean that such crude as does reach the refineries cannot be converted into sufficient quantities of usable light fuels. The country is still heavily dependent on imported gasoline and LPG. If the refineries are to meet national needs for from local production by the end of the year, they must increase overall output of light liquid fuels at a compound rate of about 10% per month for the next four months.

Nevertheless, it appears that the commencement of diesel imports, initially into the north where export smuggling may be less of a problem, is imminent. Consideration may even to be given to kerosene imports to help winter stockpiling. It appears that the Coalition may have reversed or at least deferred its intention to transfer responsibility for all fuel imports to the Ministry of Oil's State Oil Marketing Organization. There is clearly a much more proactive approach to export smuggling of diesel. New LPG imports into the south are also expected in the coming week or so, and should increase dramatically in late August; the start-up of the South Gas Plant will also help the situation, but not before September. A fuel supply and distribution crisis will continue for at least the rest of the year, but largely unseen work over recent months to alleviate it should bear fruit in the coming month or two, and the pieces are being put in place to address it more comprehensively.

For the complete version of the UNJLC weekly fuel bulletin please see the website.

For Fuel availability in Iraq please see the website.

9. OTHER

UNHAS Duty Officer. UNHAS now has a duty officer who can be contacted in case of EMERGENCIES ONLY. It is NOT a number for passenger enquires which may be made at the times and with the points of contact listed at para 10 below. The Duty Officer's phone number is + 962 796 726 723.

UNHAS and UNJLC Offices. The UNJLC and UNHAS are located in Amman at: PO Box 941631, Amman 11194. The UNJLC is very near (50m to the East) to the UNDP building and in what is known to some as the old UNHCR building. There is no house number but there is a UNJLC sign on the gate. UNHAS and the UNJLC Air Cell are in the WFP Annex B building which is also close to the UNDP building; see address at para 10 below. Both locations are in the district of Shmeisani. Points of contact are as follows.

UNHAS - Passenger and Cargo Bookings:

• For entitled passengers and cargo users only (see UNHAS SAOPs)
• Opening days/hours: Sunday - Thursday/0900 - 1300
• Kjersti Bang, Omar Abdullah, Saba Jamil and Jackline Saad