Iraq still needs Massive Int'l Support

“To restore trust and to rebuild unity between the various communities that form the Iraqi people, it is necessary to ensure justice and accountability for violations and abuses, whenever they have taken place and by whomever they were perpetrated, and to eliminate discrimination and marginalization wherever it occurs.”

The humanitarian situation is of the gravest concern, the Special Representative went on to note. “At least 8.2 million, roughly one in four Iraqis need urgent assistance. More than three million people are internally displaced and [UN] partners estimate that a nearly a million more are likely to be displaced by continuing conflict and violence in the months ahead.”

In addition, close to 300,000 refugees, mostly from Syria, have sought safety in the country, he said.

Thanking the donor community for pledges in response to the recent Humanitarian Response Plan launched in cooperation with the European Union in Brussels on 4 June, Mr. Kubiš urged the international community to do more to help desperately vulnerable Iraqi people, as some reports mention that communities and families are being “forced to look to ISIL for life-saving assistance even as UN–sponsored programmes are closing due to lack of funds.”

In conclusion, the Special Representative hoped that the Security Council’s decision later this month on UNAMI’s mandate will provide a “clear guidance” and will establish a re-focused political framework for the UN work in Iraq.

(Source: United Nations News Centre)