Kurdish organization to aid families of Iraqi protest victims
The Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF), based in the Kurdistan Region's capital of Erbil, announced on Wednesday that it would be distributing financial aid to families of the victims of violence in the ongoing nationwide demonstrations in Iraq.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF), based in the Kurdistan Region's capital of Erbil, announced on Wednesday that it would be distributing financial aid to families of the victims of violence in the ongoing nationwide demonstrations in Iraq.
“The assistance will include the families of the victims in all provinces and it will be distributed through teams that we have established consisting of our staff and volunteers,” Musa Ahmad, the head of the organization, said in a press conference.
The BCF has recently prepared a list of the victims of the protests and their families living in multiple cities, in coordination with some government offices.
He added, “The aid campaign will begin with Baghdad, and we will visit every [known] family of the victims to extend our condolences on behalf of the Kurdish people and President Masoud Barzani and to offer our financial preparedness to help them in any way they need.”
Musa also mentioned that. although the BCF is the first to take such initiative, he encouraged other civil society organizations and government officials from relevant departments to join in helping “the families of the martyrs, as it is a sacred duty, especially for those in the humanitarian field.”
Iraq has been engulfed in anti-government protests for over two months now, where over 500 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and demonstrators, and over 10,000 others injured.
The protests in Iraq reflect widespread dissatisfaction with the economy, a call for more jobs, the dismal state of public services, and widespread government corruption.
The United Nations, as well as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW), have called for an end to the bloodshed and urged security forces to show restraint against protestors.
Read More: 'Grave concern' over deaths, arrests at Baghdad protests: UN Security Council
The BCF, founded in 2005, is one of the most active humanitarian organizations in Kurdistan, often providing a substantial amount of aid to internally displaced persons and refugees. It operates throughout the Kurdistan Region and in much of Iraq and has also operated in Turkey, Syria, Greece, and Serbia.
Editing by John J. Catherine