UN programme in Iraq funded at only 8 percent: Secretary-General

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) - On Friday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) António Guterres and his delegates visited displaced people from Mosul in the camp of Hassan Sham in southeast Erbil, Kurdistan Region.

He closely observed the humanitarian situation of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the camp.

In a press conference in the camp, Guterres said, “These people have suffered enormously and they go on suffering. We need more solidarity from the international community. There is a huge effort by the regional government [of Kurdistan], a huge effort by the NGOs, a huge effort by UN agencies but we don’t have the resources that are necessary to support these people."

He continued, "We don’t have the international solidarity that is needed for the conditions to be provided for these people to [live in] humane conditions, for them to have the minimum compensation for the suffering they have had and, at the same time, to create the conditions for a reconciliation within the communities and reconciliation at national level as soon as Mosul is fully liberated."

He called for reconciliation in Iraq at the national level following the liberation of Mosul.

“This is the moment the international community needs to express deep solidarity with Iraq and unfortunately our programme here is funded at only 8 percent. That shows how limited our resources are compared to the tragedy these people are facing."

Guterres noted that solidarity cannot be denied because Iraqi soldiers are fighting the Islamic State (IS) to provide security everywhere in the world.

“Fighting terrorism in Mosul is the same as fighting terrorism anywhere because terrorism has become a global threat. All terrorist groups are today interlinked,” the Secretary-General added.

Before his visit to the IDP camp, Guterres met with the Kurdish Ezidi community leaders, discussed the current situation of the Ezidis in the Kurdistan Region in particular and Iraq in general.

Guterres arrived in Erbil International Airport (EIA) on Thursday and met with the President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani.

According to a statement released by the Kurdistan Region Presidency (KRP), President Barzani and Guterres discussed the mechanism of holding a self-determination referendum in the Kurdistan Region.

Barzani said that in the near future a referendum would be held in order for the world to know the will and decision of the people of the Kurdistan Region.

In the meeting, the UN Secretary-General said that they would try to mobilize support for the Kurdistan Region, stating that the international community has not been fully supportive of the Kurdistan Region despite it sheltering the IDPs, the KRP statement added.

Guterres expressed United Nations’ readiness to fully cooperate with and coordinate between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to resolve the disputes between them, particularly in the post-Islamic State (IS) era.

Editing by Ava Homa