Belarusian humanitarian cargo for Iraqi Kurds, Syrians

BERLIN, Germany – Belarusia has dispatched a cargo of humanitarian aid for Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria that arrives in Erbil today, the Belarusian News agency (BelTA)  reported.

It said the goods for Iraqi Kurdistan include mobile diesel power plants, tents, blankets, tinned meat and medications. The aid for Syria comprises food products that include flour and milk, including baby food. The cargo for Syria will be transported from Kurdistan on Wednesday.

The Iraqi Kurdistan Region has been struggling with the burden of some 1.4 million refugees and displaced persons from neighboring Syria and other parts of Iraq. Inside Syria, half the population is believed to have been displaced by a war now in its fifth year.

On a visit in September to Erbil, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said he wanted to demonstrate his country’s support for Kurdistan in the international war against ISIS.

During the visit, he signed a preliminary agreement for wide-range cooperation in many fields, including industry, agriculture, education and tourism, including direct flights between Erbil and Minsk.

“In such a crisis, we deemed it necessary to make this visit to announce our support for the Kurdistan Region,” Makei said during his visit.  “We hope the Kurdistan Region passes this crisis and the region goes toward further progress and prosperity," he added.