Sinjar Mayor: Iraqi government prevents German aid

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – Mayor of Sinjar (Shingal), Mahma Khalil, in a press conference on Wednesday, said that the Iraqi Federal Government prevents German government-funded humanitarian assistance from entering the city, compelling agencies to Baghdad for initial approval.

“The German government has sent us plenty of humanitarian aid in response to our requests to assist Yezidi (Ezidi) Kurds in Shingal, but the Iraqi government prevents us from receiving [much of this aid],” Khalil explained from the major city of Dohuk, in Kurdistan Region.

Khalil added,” Germany has provided us [KRG] essentials, including a mobile hospital that is currently kept on the Turkish side of the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing since the Iraqi Ministry of Health hinders aid workers from entering Shingal and wants them transferred to Baghdad [instead].”

The mayor also pointed out that in his recent visit to Baghdad, he had a fruitful conversation with Iraqi President Fuad Masum, in which he promised to cooperate in delivering materials to Ezidi Kurds. President Masum also agreed to support the efforts of President of Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani to protect the recently-liberated area.

According to the mayor's assistant, Dawood Salih, Germany has sent up to four mobile hospitals to Iraq, with one earmarked especially for Shingal. "The hospitals contain a full package of medical equipment and personnel," Salih said without mentioning the number of the staff involved and types of medical equipment provided. 

Salih underscored that Germany has already provided other essentials to Shingal, such as water tanks, cranes, and power generators to reconstruct the largely devastated city liberated by Peshmerga in November.

Such materials are needed to reconstruct the badly- damaged infrastructure greatly assists the 5,000 families who have already returned and as well as Peshmerga around Shingal, Salih added.

Additionally, Salih conceded that the lack of water and power are still two major problems preventing more displaced peoples from returning to heir homes.

Germany plays an active role in assisting Kurdistan Region, militarily and otherwise. In Nov. and Dec. 2015, two high-ranking German Officials, Defense Minister Ursula Von der Leyen and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, made separate visits to Baghdad and Erbil.

The officials stressed increasing military and humanitarian assistance to Iraq and Kurdistan Region as well as providing services aimed at rebuilding Shingal.

Reporting by Gulala Khaled

Editing by Benjamin Kweskin