ERBIL, Kurdistan Region--The United States Department of State will provide more than $181 million in humanitarian assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq. “The United States is providing more than $181 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the Iraqi people to address critical humanitarian needs, including those expected to occur with Iraq’s planned military offensive to liberate Mosul from Da’esh [Islamic State, ISIS] occupation,” reads the State Department’s Wednesday press release. The funding was announced by Deputy Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken who is visiting Baghdad along with presidential envoy Brett McGurk. Since 2014, the US has provided more than one billion dollars in humanitarian assistance for Iraq, supporting operations of the UN and other international organizations “to help respond to one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in the world.” The US also reaffirmed its commitment to support the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in their response to the humanitarian crisis. “The United States remains committed to supporting the government of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Regional Government, in their response to the humanitarian crisis, as well as supporting the Iraqi people during their time of need,” stated the State Department press release. The UN expects one million people from Mosul and its surrounding areas will be displaced during the upcoming battle to liberate the city from ISIS. That will add to the already 3.3 million Iraqis already displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance because of ISIS’ brutality, according to the State Department. The new US funding “enables the prepositioning of emergency food assistance and basic relief items to displaced Iraqis in preparation for the Mosul campaign.” “It also supports the procurement and distribution of emergency relief and shelter supplies, and it will provide basic health care, including maternal and child health care services, as well as education, camp coordination camp management services, psychosocial support, gender-based violence prevention and mitigation programs, among other services.. This money funds essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services that will provide displaced Iraqis with safe drinking water, clean latrines, and shower facilities.” The US funding will also include support for the UN and other humanitarian aid agencies that are helping Iraqi refugees in other regional countries, and to support ongoing humanitarian operations in Iraq for IDPs. “In addition, US funding will support UNHCR and other agencies’ efforts to provide assistance to the estimated 230,000 Iraqi refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey.” Next week, the UN General Assembly seventieth session will take place in New York. The assembly will host a summit on refugees to encourage increased commitments from member nations. “The upcoming assembly’s session will be a high level summit of the members which will focus on refugees, migrants, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in order to urge state members to increase their commitments to provide economic support for refugees,” President of the United Nations General Assembly seventieth session, Mogens Lykketoft, told Rudaw on Tuesday. “The UN needs $20 billion more annually to support refugees and IDPs as well as the countries receiving large numbers of refugees,” he added.
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