First Salvation Army Convoy Reaches Umm Qasr, Iraq - 22 April 2003

MAJOR Mike Olsen reports that he arrived in Umm Qasr on 22nd April with the first convoy of propane (LPG) cooking gas (4,300 x 12kg bottles). Cooking gas is now the greatest need in southern Iraq after clean water. There is sufficient food, but flour and dry lentils are of little value without fuel to cook them.

The 121 metric tonnes of gas was a gift negotiated by The Salvation Army with the Kuwait Govenment and Kuwait National Petroleum Company.The value of the gas and bottles is USD$116,000. It was transported to the port in seven special trucks coordinated and delivered by The Salvation Army. The trucks were unloaded in Umm Qasr by more than 30 Iraqi volunteers.

Major Mike Olsen said, 'After two weeks of negotiations to get this much needed cooking gas, it was a very real answer to prayer to bring this convoy safely into the security of the Umm Qasr Port Facility.' Secure storage is being provided at the Umm Qasr Port Facility.

The distribution of this necessary relief will now proceed in partnership with the Save The Children Fund (SCF). Jonathan Patrick, Operations Officer for SCF, Basra (Iraq) Governorate said, 'The town of Umm Qasr has been out of cooking fuel for over a month ... they are starting to cut down the few remaining trees in the area for firewood.' The Salvation Army are working closely with SCF who are the agency coordinating relief into the area which includes the major cities of Umm Qasr and Basra. With this delivery, the people in Umm Qasr will now have two months' supply of cooking gas.

The Salvation Army is now negotiating a similar gas convoy to the city of An Nasariya. The Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA) has asked The Salvation Army to consider coordinating emergency cooking fuel needs for all of southern Iraq. Other humanitarian initiatives are being planned.

New team members have arrived in Kuwait to help with the expanding service.

Major Mike Olsen expresses his gratitude to God for a safe journey and his thanks to all who have materially and prayerfully made this first step possible.