UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF IRAQ PROGRAMME

Press Release
IK/295

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF IRAQ PROGRAMME

Weekly Update for the Period 8-14 July 2000

New York/Beirut, 19 July (UN Information Centre) -- During the period 8-14 July Iraq exported 15.3 million barrels of oil for revenue estimated around $378 million. The revenue generated from the beginning of phase VIII on 9 June is now estimated at around $1.502 billion. Since the inception of the programme on 10 December 1996, Iraq has exported more than 1.891 billion barrels with a value of more than $30.5 billion.

Last week the Security Council's 661 Committee approved 27 new contracts for the sale of Iraqi oil under phase VIII. This brings the total of approved contracts to 68 with a volume of nearly 318 million barrels (194.121 million Basrah Light and 124.466 million Kirkuk).

Since the accelerated procedures for the approval of contracts for humanitarian supplies for Iraq came into force on 1 March 2000, the Office of the Iraq Programme (OIP) has notified the 661 Committee of 551 applications, worth $1.112 billion. These contracts are for items on the lists approved by the Committee in the food, health, education and agriculture sectors.

Over the past week OIP has received two contracts deemed to include possible dual-use items affected by the provisions of resolution 1051 (1996). The total of applications under this category in phases IV through VII is now 150.

The 661 Committee has approved $7.081 billion dollars worth of contracts for humanitarian supplies in phases IV to VII, and put $1.219 billion on hold for the same period. In phases IV to VII, OIP has received a total of 2,798 contracts worth $1.560 billion for the supply of oil industry spare parts and equipment. Of these contracts, the 661 Committee has approved 1,910 worth $982.3 million and put 489, worth $275.8 million, on hold. The total value of contracts on hold in all sectors is now around $1.495 billion.

Humanitarian supplies and equipment for the oil industry continued to arrive normally during this period through the three land border points and at the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr. Arrivals included: 38,980 tons of wheat, 68,822 tons of rice, 8,059 tons of cooking oil, 2,028 tons of pulses, more than 6,068 tons of detergents, plus a range of medicines and pharmaceutical products. Other arrivals included school furniture, tractors, tires, and water pumps and power station equipment.

(Note: a full listing of humanitarian and oil sector contracts for phases V, VI and VII and their current status plus an extensive range of background information is available at .