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Iraq must cooperate with efforts to aid its northern governorates, UN official says
8 March – A top United Nations official dealing with the Organization's humanitarian programme for Iraq told the Security Council today that Baghdad must cooperate with UN efforts to aid the country's three northern governorates.

Addressing a closed-door meeting of the Council, Benon Sevan, the Executive Director of the Office of the Iraq Programme, expressed "serious concern" about obstacles to the humanitarian effort in the three northern governorates of Dahuk, Sulaymaniyah and Erbil. The UN is mandated to implement relief activities in those areas on behalf of the Baghdad Government.

"We have been placed in a bind," said Mr. Sevan, according to his statement released after the meeting. "On the one hand, we are to implement the programme on behalf of the Government of Iraq and, on the other, we have no alternative but to deal with the local authorities in the three northern governorates, which is being increasingly resented by the Government of Iraq."

The Executive Director cited delays in the issuance of visas as evidence of the Iraqi Government's "displeasure." Baghdad has been questioning the number of expatriates being employed by the UN in the northern governorates, claiming that Iraqis could do the job as well or better.

"In as much as we have done our best to employ Iraqi nationals as experts, we have pointed out to the Government that the local authorities in the north have refused to accept experts coming from the centre/south of Iraq, even when they were of Kurdish origin," the Executive Director said. "We even experience difficulties in convincing the local authorities in Dahuk and Erbil to accept staff from Sulaymaniyah which also rejects staff coming from Dahuk or Erbil."

Mr. Sevan said the lack of visas for experts was hampering the implementation of electricity and demining projects. He expressed particular concern about differences between Baghdad and the local authorities concerning an emergency electricity supply project. "It is regrettable that both sides have been moving the goal posts on a regular basis, with the United Nations caught in between like a yo-yo without a string," he said.

Restating broader concerns expressed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his latest report on the matter, Mr. Sevan urged all interested parties, including the Baghdad Government, to depoliticize the programme and facilitate its implementation in order to alleviate the "continued suffering" of the affected population.

"The Iraqi people must receive all the assistance which they direly need and deserve," he stressed.