Brussels, 25/08/2014 (Agence Europe) - The European Union's response to the very serious humanitarian crisis in Iraq currently comprises €17 million in emergency humanitarian aid, a humanitarian air link and material support provided by five European countries via the EU's civil protection mechanism to the Iraqi people who have fallen victim to the ISIL jihadists. “But the EU stands ready to do more”, said Alexandre Polack, the spokesperson for European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva on Monday 25 August.
Since 18 August, in response to a request for help to the European Commission from the Iraqi authorities, the UK has sent cooking utensils for displaced Iraqis; Sweden and Italy have supplied tents, blankets and support in-kind in various forms; France has sent tents, medical assistance and electric generators; and Austria has sent cooking utensils and other materials. In addition, Denmark has been quick to send an expert to the ground to help the United Nations in its emergency aid operations there. Other member states could do the same. It is the Commission which is coordinating the aid through the emergency response centre.
This is a “level 3” humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations classification - in other words, the highest level of emergency (as is also the case for Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic). Asked to comment on the criticism made by Germany's minister for economic cooperation and development, Gerd Müller, who believes that the level of aid is insufficient for a crisis that requires a further €1 billion in his view, Polack stated that “humanitarian aid to Iraq has been a priority for the EU since March”. Beyond the €17 million in aid in 2014 (food, water supply and access to sanitation facilities, medical care, basic household products, and shelter for the people), €75 million is planned in development aid for 2014-2020, he stated. Polack added: “What we are putting on the table is substantial. The international community must do more - in development aid too”.
Last May, the EU opened a humanitarian office in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Belgium was due to channel medicine, food products and basic emergency products with a C130 military transport plane via Erbil, but on Monday 25 August, the C130 was unable to set off as the Iraqi authorities demanded a stopover in Baghdad to verify the plane's contents.
Georgieva visited Iraq last week for the second time this year, together with Sweden's Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Bildt, to assess the humanitarian needs with Iraqi leaders. “Europe stands alongside the Iraqi people at this difficult time”, she said on 18 August. “Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis desperately need help as the worsening conflict makes access to these people particularly difficult”, she said the following day. The United Nations estimates the number of displaced people to be over 1.2 million since the start of the year. More than 1.1 million had already been displaced in previous years. (AN)