UN mission to Iraq reiterates neutrality after roadside bombing in Nineveh
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The United Nations mission in Iraq issued a statement on Saturday emphasizing they are a neutral organization present in the country to help the people of Iraq. The statement was made after a UN worker was injured in a roadside bombing near Mosul last month.
“The United Nations serves all people in Iraq guided by the principles of impartiality and the common good,” read the statement from UNAMI, saying it made the comments to reiterate its position in Iraq.
“All United Nations staff must comply with strict rules governing operational activities and individual actions, and all UN assets are used exclusively to carry out the mandate of the United Nations. Any claims of UN bias towards other organizations or individual member States are entirely baseless. These false claims harm the very Iraqis that the United Nations seeks to help,” the statement continued.
On August 26, a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy hit an improvised explosive device while traveling on the Erbil-Mosul road. One UN employee was injured. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Humanitarian actors too often operate in hazardous areas as they do their utmost to reach people in need. This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers they face every day,” said Irena Vojackova-Sollorano, UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, after the incident.
The WFP provides food parcels and cash assistance to vulnerable Iraqis and refugees sheltering in the country. The UN agency estimates that 1.77 million Iraqis are at risk of not knowing where their next meal will come from. In July, they assisted 333,672 people.
The security situation in Iraq has improved since the territorial defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) in December 2017, but risks still exist. ISIS militants carry out a low-level insurgency, especially in areas where there is a security vacuum between federal and Kurdish forces. This summer, there have been several improvised explosive device (IED) attacks on military convoys under contract to the United States and the Global Coalition against ISIS, amid resentment among Shiite militias to the American military presence.
“The United Nations serves all people in Iraq guided by the principles of impartiality and the common good,” read the statement from UNAMI, saying it made the comments to reiterate its position in Iraq.
“All United Nations staff must comply with strict rules governing operational activities and individual actions, and all UN assets are used exclusively to carry out the mandate of the United Nations. Any claims of UN bias towards other organizations or individual member States are entirely baseless. These false claims harm the very Iraqis that the United Nations seeks to help,” the statement continued.
On August 26, a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy hit an improvised explosive device while traveling on the Erbil-Mosul road. One UN employee was injured. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Humanitarian actors too often operate in hazardous areas as they do their utmost to reach people in need. This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers they face every day,” said Irena Vojackova-Sollorano, UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, after the incident.
The WFP provides food parcels and cash assistance to vulnerable Iraqis and refugees sheltering in the country. The UN agency estimates that 1.77 million Iraqis are at risk of not knowing where their next meal will come from. In July, they assisted 333,672 people.
The security situation in Iraq has improved since the territorial defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) in December 2017, but risks still exist. ISIS militants carry out a low-level insurgency, especially in areas where there is a security vacuum between federal and Kurdish forces. This summer, there have been several improvised explosive device (IED) attacks on military convoys under contract to the United States and the Global Coalition against ISIS, amid resentment among Shiite militias to the American military presence.