Cardinal Dolan: Kurds spread peace

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – On Sunday, Vatican delegates visited an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Duhok to closely observe their conditions in Kurdistan Region.

Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and his accompanied delegates visited an IDP camp in Duhok. Most of the IDPs in the camp had fled from Mosul and other parts of Iraq due to the threat of Islamic State (IS) attacks.

“We listened to the people, priests and IDPs in this camp to understand their needs, and how we can provide help for them,” Dolan told Kurdistan24.

He explained what Americans hear and are exposed to through the media in the US about Iraq in general. “In America, we hear about all the sadness; people are getting displaced, executed and massacred in Iraq.”

Additionally, Dolan noted that they are surprised to see that people in the Kurdistan Region attempt to spread peace and solidarity, which he believes is something very crucial.

Dolan and his delegates visited a medical dispensary in Duhok and talked to nearly 400 families consisting of Christians, Kurdish Yezidi (Ezidi) and other minorities.

The IDPs were delighted by his visit and asked the Cardinal and his delegates to provide humanitarian aid and to help free their areas.

“We hope they will put pressure on the international community in general and European countries, in particular, to free Mosul and Nineveh Province from [IS] so that people will be able to return to their homes,” said Salim Kojo, an IDP, who fled from Mosul.

Reporting by Ni’mat Maronisi and Mewan Dolamari
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany and Ava Homa