Category: Security

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UNHCR Iraq Protection Update

Highlights

▪ 11,292 refugees crossed into Iraq since the commencement of hostilities.

▪ The number of refugees entering the KR-I continues to increase. On average, over 1,200 new arrivals were recorded on a daily basis during the past seven days.

▪ Bardarash Camp has reached its capacity, new arrivals will now be hosted in Gawilan camp

▪ The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Ms. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, visited Bardarash camp on Wednesday 23 October 2019.

▪ Over 400 individuals have been cleared to leave Bardarash Camp for family reunification in towns and communities in KRI.

▪ Kurdistan Region of Iraq authorities confirmed that all informal borders will remain open for Syrians to seek safety

Key figures

Estimated planning figures for potential refugee influx from North East Syria 50,000 individuals in six months

10,699 individuals hosted in Bardarash camp as of 25 October 2019

Existing Population of Concern in Iraq

270,844 Refugees and Asylum-Seekers (as of 30 September 2019)

229,285 Syrian refugees (as of 30 September)

1,55 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) (as of 31 August 2019)

4,35 million Returnees (as of 31 August 2019)

Contingency stock CRIs and tents for 10,000 families in country

Population movement

As of 25 October 2019, 11,292 refugees have crossed through informal crossing points since 14 October. Most of the refugees arriving are from northern Syria – Sare Kani village, Qamishly city, Hassaka governorate, Gre Spe village, Darbasiya village, Til Tamir village, Derike village and Amoda village.

A total of 10,699 refugees are now hosted in Bardarash camp, and 180 refugees are hosted in Domiz I camp. 413 refugees have left Bardarash Camp, after security clearance by Assayesh and registration with UNHCR, either for family reunification or because they have been identified as extremely vulnerable individuals. UNHCR has been informed that from today, 26 October, family reunification will only be possible for those who have family ties in Duhok governorate.

Board of Relief and Humanitarian Affairs (BRHA) agreed with UNHCR and other humanitarian actors that from 26 October new arrivals will be accommodated in Gawilan Camp, which is 30 km further south of Bardarash camp. New tents have been pitched and the new sector in Gawilan can accommodate up to 1,588 families. Gawilan camp was established in September 2013 and currently accommodates 8,115 Syrian refugees. New arrivals will be able to access existing services. In the event that Gawilan Camp reaches its full capacity as well, new arrivals will be accommodated in Garmawa IDP Camp.

Discussions are ongoing regarding the IDP population currently living in Garmawa camp.
KRI Authorities confirmed that all informal entry points will remain open for Syrian refugees (including Al Walid), however, people entering through these crossing points will be directly transferred by Assayesh to Sahela transit site. Al Walid transit site will no longer host refugees overnight.

UNHCR in collaboration with the BRHA, UNICEF and Assayesh identified a new transit site near Sahela crossing point. The new site (Sahela 2) is located before the main Assayesh check point and allows easier access for humanitarian agencies. Since Syrian refugees arrive during the night and will be transported from all five crossing points to Sahela, they will overnight at the Sahela transit site where they go through initial security screening before being transported to camps.
UNHCR is currently installing three additional rubb halls in Sahela, in addition to the existing rubb hall, two prefab offices, and the covered hall in order to accommodate the large number of people who will be spending the night there. After the current installations are finalized, Sahela 1 and 2 transit sites will have the capacity to host between up to 2,500 individuals per night.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and MedAir are providing primary health services at Sahela crossing point during the day while Samaritan’s Purse covers the night shift. Directorate General of Health (DOH) continues to provide vaccinations.

(Source: ReliefWeb)

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TechnipFMC settles Iraq Bribery Case

By John Lee.

Oil and gas company TechnipFMC has agreed to pay more than $5 million to settle an Iraq-related corruption case with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The company is alleged to have taken part in bribery between 2008 and 2013 to secure business from Iraqi state-owned oil companies.

Just last month, the company announced that it would demerge its operations into two separate companies.

The full statement from the SEC can be read here.

(Source: SEC)

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Commission of Integrity returns $135m to Oil Ministry

Iraq’s Commission of Integrity yesterday announced that it had returned $135 million of misappropriated funds to the oil ministry, the Anadolu Agency reported.

The commission said that the company for the distribution of oil products misappropriated funds through contracts with two oil investment companies.

Iraq is among the world’s most corrupt states according to Transparency International’s corruption index.

The commission revealed in 2018 that it had issued more than 2,000 arrest warrants in 2017 related to corruption in the country.

It said that 290 arrested warrants were issued against state officials including ministers.

(Source: Middle East Monitor)

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Iraq “has No Ties to Oil Tanker Seized by Iran”

Iraq’s oil ministry said on Sunday it has no connection with an oil tanker seized by Iran’s IRGC in the Persian Gulf for smuggling fuel, a report said.

“The ministry does not export diesel to the international market,” the Arab country’s oil ministry said in a statement, Iraqi News Agency reported.

Iraq’s relevant authorities are working to gather information about the seized vessel, it added.

Two Iraqi port officials said initial information obtained show that the seized ship is owned by a private shipping company which is owned by an Iraqi private trader.

In a statement on Sunday, the IRGC Navy’s Public Relations Department said that the foreign ship had been captured by the military vessels patrolling the second naval zone in the Persian Gulf as part of the operations to detect and fight against organized smuggling.

The IRGC Navy’s patrol vessels confiscated the foreign tanker that was carrying 700,000 liters of smuggled fuel in a surprise operation after coordination with judicial authorities, it added.

According to the statement, the foreign ship was seized near Farsi Island, a tiny, barren island in the Persian Gulf.

(Source: Tasnim, under Creative Commons licence)

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Iran Reassures Iraq over Strait of Hormuz

By John Lee.

Iran has reportedly reassured Iraq that there will be freedom of international maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (pictured) gave the reassurances to an Iraqi delegation visiting Tehran.

(Source: Reuters)

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Former Unaoil Exec pleads Guilty to Iraq Corruption

Former Unaoil executive pleads guilty to conspiracy to give corrupt payments

Basil Al Jarah, Unaoil’s former partner in Iraq, pleaded guilty on 15 July 2019 to five offences of conspiracy to give corrupt payments in connection with the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO)’s investigation into Unaoil.

The offences relate to the award of contracts to supply and install single point moorings and oil pipelines in southern Iraq. A court order restricting reporting of the plea was lifted today.

In the same investigation, Ziad Akle, Paul Bond and Stephen Whiteley have been charged with conspiracy to make corrupt payments. A trial is scheduled to begin on 13 January 2020 at Southwark Crown Court.

(Source: UK Serious Fraud Office)

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IBBC hosts Members’ Retreat at Cumberland Lodge

This weekend, the Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) hosted its annual members’ retreat at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Park, which was generously sponsored by Al Burhan Group.

As with previous years, it was very well attended by over seventy delegates, and allowed our members to mingle and network with representatives of other businesses, civil servants, and Iraqi government dignitaries.

Speakers and organisations represented included:

  • Dr Falah Al Amiri, Advisor to the Ministry of Oil, Government of Iraq
  • Dr Hameed Ahmed, Deputy Higher Education Minister
  • Eng. Dara Rasheed, Deputy Minister of Housing, Construction & Municipalities
  • Jon Wilks CMG, HM Ambassador to Iraq
  • Beverley Simpson, Director, Department of International Trade (DIT) in Iraq
  • Dr Victoria Lindsay, Director, British Council, Iraq
  • Emma Sky, Director, Greenberg World Fellows Program, Yale University
  • Nicolas Pelham, The Economist
  • Professor Toby Dodge, London School of Economics
  • Dr Renad Mansour, Chatham House
  • Al Burhan Group
  • Basra Gateway Terminal
  • Bath Spa University
  • BP
  • Chevron
  • Constellis
  • ExxonMobil
  • Financial Times
  • G4S
  • KBR
  • Management Partners
  • Mosul University
  • OiLSERV Kuwait
  • Petrofac
  • Rolls-Royce
  • Serco
  • Shire Oak International
  • Stirling Education
  • Tube Tech International
  • TurnKey LLC
  • University of Dundee
  • University of Liverpool
  • University of Northampton
  • University of Northampton
  • University of Sheffield
  • Wood Plc

Sessions included discussions and panels on the state of Iraq, contemporary Middle Eastern politics, meetings for our various sector tables (including oil and gas, and construction and infrastructure), economic development strategies for Iraq, and how higher education partnerships could be developed between the UK and Iraq. A biannual council meeting for representatives of our member organisations was also held.

Christophe Michels, Managing Director of the IBBC was happy with how the weekend went:

“As in previous years the Retreat has attracted some of the finest minds from business, academia, politics, media and diplomacy working on Iraq to conduct truly meaningful and intimate discussions”.

Baroness Emma Nicholson, President of the IBBC and the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Iraq, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan said:

“IBBC has had a fantastically happy and hugely productive busy weekend. We call it a retreat, but I am not sure what it was a retreat from! People were working morning, noon, and night, and they were making great achievements, and huge strides in the various different table meetings…one of the best I can ever remember”.

For more information on the Iraq Britain Business Council, visit our website at https://www.iraqbritainbusiness.org/

(Source: IBBC)

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Gulf Tensions: Iraq worried about Economy

From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

Iraq exports around 3.5 million barrels of oil a day.

Heightened regional tensions between the US and Iran and recent attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf have heightened security fears.

The government of Iraq is worried about the threat to its oil exports – and how its economy could suffer.

Al Jazeera‘s Charles Stratford reports:

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Rocket attack on Oil Workers’ Camp

By John Lee.

A rocket has hit a residential and oil operations headquarters near Basra city, wounding three workers at an Iraqi drilling company.

The short-range Katyusha missile hit a compound in Burjesia which is used by several international oil companies (IOCs), including ExxonMobil.

Oil production and exports are not expected to be affected.

(Sources: The Guardian, Bloomberg, Xinhua)

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“Invaluable Steps” to Cement Ties with Iraq

Iran Has Taken Invaluable Steps to Cement Ties with Iraq: Envoy

Iran’s Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjedi highlighted the importance of bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries and said Tehran has taken major strides to strengthen ties with Baghdad.

“We are trying to boost our relations with Iraq in all areas,” Masjedi said, addressing an appreciation ceremony for the outgoing Iranian consuls in the Iraqi cities of Sulaymaniyah and Karbala.

“The embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Baghdad, as well as the affiliated organizations and consulates and other governmental agencies of Iran in Iraq, have taken invaluable strides and actions at various political, economic and security levels to strengthen relations between the two countries in recent years,” the diplomat noted.

Masjedi further pointed to historical, cultural and ideological commonalities of the two countries and said closer ties in all fields are in line with the interests of both Iran and Iraq.

Iran and Iraq enjoy cordial political, security and cultural ties but due to some internal and regional problems including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL) terrorism in Iraq, they have not been able to increase their trade volume.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif recently paid an official visit to Iraq to boost ties with the Arab country in the sanctions era.

US President Donald Trump’s administration announced plans in March to extend a 90-day waiver for the second time to let Iraq continue energy imports from Iran.

(Source: Tasnim, under Creative Commons licence)