Iraq sends $41m to Kurdistan as a humanitarian aid

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Minister of the Migration and Displacement in the Iraqi government announced that Iraq has sent over $41 million to the Kurdistan Region for humanitarian purposes.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Minister of Interior and the Iraqi Minister of Migration and Displacement signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to strengthen coordination between the KRG and the Iraqi government over new waves of displacement to the Kurdistan Region due to the Mosul operation.

In a press conference, Sinjari said that a joint meeting between the KRG, the Iraqi government and the UN agencies to discuss the mechanism of receiving the new influx of Internally Displaced Person (IDPs), the 2017 humanitarian response plan and the return of the IDPs to their places after liberation and stabilization processes. “This is part of the MoU as well,” Interior Minister said

“This MoU is to strengthen coordination between the KRG and the Iraqi government to help the IDPs who are currently in the Kurdistan Region and those who might be displaced to the Region in the future,” Sinjari said.

Jasim Muhammed, the Iraqi Minister of Migration and Displacement told reporters that a joint meeting was held between the KRG, the Iraqi government and the UN agencies to discuss the humanitarian response plan for 2017 by Erbil, Baghdad and UN agencies, the Mosul humanitarian readiness and responsiveness to return the IDPs to their liberated areas.

Muhammed also said that the MoU between the KRG and the Iraqi government is due to 2018 with the possibility of extension if required.

There is continuous coordination between Erbil and Baghdad on humanitarian crisis, Muhammed said. “So far the Iraqi government has provided 48 billion IQD (amounts more than $41 million) to the Kurdistan Region governorates to deal with the humanitarian crisis, 20 billion IQD for Duhok, 20 billion IQD for Erbil and 8 billion to Sulaimani.

KRG’s Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC) expects the displacement of one million people from Mosul in which nearly 500,000 IDPs are expected to flee to the Kurdistan Region as the offensive to liberate the city of Mosul from IS nears.

“Our plan is to be prepared to receive around 700,000 from Mosul in which half of them will be fleeing to the Kurdistan Region,” Minister of Displacement and Migration concluded.

Editing by Ava Homa