MIDDLE EAST: Weekly round-up Number 20 for 29 April- 5 May 2005

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

Key Humanitarian Developments in Iraq

The new Iraqi cabinet was sworn in on Tuesday, following weeks of political wrangling. However, seven posts have not been filled including the defence and oil ministries, the international media reported.

At the swearing in ceremony in the capital, Baghdad, Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari spoke of the challenges facing the new government: "corruption, lack of services, unemployment and mass graves", the Associated Press (AP) news agency reported.

The cabinet reflects the key ethnic groups in the country with 15 Shi’ites, seven Kurds, four Sunnis and a Christian and was formed following the country’s historic ballot on 30 January.

On Saturday, the UN Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, said that improved security in Iraq needed a wider approach where “increased Iraqi security capacity was matched by progress in other areas, notably political outreach, improvement in public services, greater employment opportunities and the development of state, political and civil society institutions within a framework of the rule of law,” a UN statement said.

Qazi was speaking at a meeting of foreign ministers from Iraq and neighbouring countries, held in the Turkish city of Istanbul. The UN official gave details on the opening of liaison offices in the northern city of Arbil and the southern city of Basra, under the umbrella of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

In total, 18 UN agencies are working together through various clusters to coordinate international aid to Iraq and to offer assistance in reconstruction work.

Their activities are funded by the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) and the Iraq Trust Fund (ITF), part of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI).

The meeting, on 29 and 30 April, brought together representatives from Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria as well as Bahrain, Egypt, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the Arab League and European Commission.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan condemned continuing violence in Iraq, following a series of bombings last week.

“The Secretary-General is appalled by the wave of bombings and other attacks that have reportedly killed more than 100 Iraqis and wounded twice that many since Friday, in an apparent effort to undermine the newly established government,” a statement issued on Monday said.

In one of the attacks, a suicide bomber killed at least 25 people and injured more than 30 others at a Kurdish funeral in the northern town of Talafar, near Mosul, last Thursday.

In attacks carried out this week, at least 23 people died in Baghdad on Thursday and another 50 were killed in a suicide attack on police recruits in the northern city of Arbil on Wednesday.

“The Secretary-General hopes these attacks will not deter Iraqi leaders and citizens from continuing to take part in rebuilding their country as it emerges from war and tyranny.”


CONTENTS:

IRAQ: Divergent views over the relationship between NGOs and Coalition
IRAQ: Focus on increasing displacement in Kirkuk
IRAQ: Shortage of drugs for epileptic children
IRAQ: Calls for compensation after mass grave discovery
YEMEN: Journalists reject new draft of press and publications law
YEMEN: Concern over polio outbreak
YEMEN: Increase in polio cases
JORDAN: OSJ reaches out to more children

[ENDS]