Iraq (Hansard, 22 July 2004)

§ Hilary Benn

Social statistics available for Iraq are currently limited and unreliable. DFID is considering ways in which to assist building statistical capacity in Iraq and has made available —30 million to the UN, including for statistical support, through the International Reconstruction Fund Facility For Iraq.

The UN is working with the Iraqi Central Statistics Organisation and Ministries to develop up to date statistics. A United Nations Development Plan (UNDP) survey of Living Conditions of Iraqi Households is due to be completed in November this year and will include economic indicators such as income, day to day expenditures, availability of health and education facilities and access to public services. A World Food Programme Baseline Food Security Assessment, due next month, is likely to produce estimates of the amount of poverty in Iraq.

In early July, peak production was averaging around 4,500 MW, just above pre war production levels. Progress has not been as rapid as planned, primarily as a result of sabotage and security constraints. High summer demand due to increased temperatures has resulted in reduced hours of electricity supply to most areas of Iraq. Significant programmes of long-term rehabilitation of electrical infrastructure continue.

Estimates suggest that immediately after the conflict, 60 per cent. of urban and 30 per cent. of rural populations had access to safe water. Considerable work has taken place since the end of the conflict to improve the quantity, quality and reliability of water supplies. There are no reliable statistics of current coverage, but informal estimates by the former Coalition Provisional Authority (South) indicate that, in the south, coverage has increased by 10–15 per cent. since May 2003. Water quality and volume in Basra is expected to exceed pre-conflict levels during the summer of 2004.

The joint UN and World Bank Needs Assessments of last year estimated that of the 70 per cent. of the Iraqi population that live in urban areas, 30 per cent. live near the poverty line. Approximately 60 per cent. of the population is dependent on free food rations under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Poverty in southern Iraq is particularly serious. A 2003 World Food 380W Programme study on chronic poverty calculated that approximately 21 per cent. of Iraq's centre/south population were chronically poor or unable to meet their basic needs over long periods of time, even after assistance provided through PDS.