ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Family members of Peshmerga fighters who were killed in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) have blasted donations from a US organization as “disrespectful”, burning the aid outside of Erbil’s Peshmerga hospital on Wednesday.
Roads Of Success (ROS), a non-profit organization which says it works to “ advance the quality of life for people both locally and internationally” contacted the families of some 250 Peshmerga fighters, who have been killed in the last six years while fighting ISIS, through the Peshmerga ministry. The families come from areas far from Erbil such as Mergasor, Soran and Kirkuk.
The organization is said to have prepared winter aid for 500 families, with 250 scheduled to receive this week and the other half next week.
The families and Peshmerga ministry say they did not expect ROS to provide winter clothes and shoes whose values, the families claim, do not even compensate for their transportation fees to Erbil.
“It was not aid but disrespect for the families of martyrs,” said widow Halima Mohammed, who travelled more than 100km to Erbil from Mergasor. She said that the aid only consisted of a pair of boots and a towel.
At least 1,700 Peshmerga fighters were killed and around 10,000 injured in the fight against ISIS from 2014 onwards.
The families burned the clothes in front of the hospital and said that the “low-value” and “second-hand” items were disrespectful to the killed Peshmerga fighters.
The son of a killed Peshmerga fighter told Rudaw that the Peshmerga ministry said they would also be given money in addition to the winter clothes.
Miran Bakr, head of the ministry’s office for media affairs, denied this claim to Rudaw English. He added that the ministry was not aware of the details of the aid.
“Neither the Peshmerga minister, nor the ministry were aware of the contents of the aid in advance,” he said.
“The American [military] team, which was present there, were also very concerned. They said that they had a great day yesterday,” said the spokesperson.
Bakr said the ministry will meet with families on Monday to meet their demands.
“The ministry is seriously onboard to compensate these people emotionally and financially on Monday and the days after.”
Following the incident, the Peshmerga ministry said in a statement that they were “concerned” by the incident.
“Martyrs and the members of their families deserve much more than this,” it said in a statement.
“It is our duty to serve the heirs of the martyrs in the best way.”
Additional reporting by Hadi Salimi
