Brussels, 14/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 14 January, MEPs Cornelia Ernst (GUE, Germany), Ana Gomes (S&D, Portugal), Marietje Schaake (ALDE, Netherlands) and Josef Weidenholzer (S&D, Austria) who are recently back from Kurdistan, called on the international community and the EU to increase their humanitarian aid to displaced people and refugees in Kurdistan.
“A military operation that is not accompanied by humanitarian coordination does not make sense”, said Weidenholzer. “In Iraq, 5 million people are dependent on international aid”, Schaake stated. “One third of the budget for basic needs for next year is covered. The international community needs to take action”, she said, adding that the EU should give more funds and speak to the states that have committed to releasing funds but which have not yet done so. “There is a lack of coordination between the ECHO delegation in Erbil and the member states that give their aid directly”, said Gomes. In Weidenholzer's view, this delegation's €60 million annual budget is not enough. The MEPs reiterated the need to set up means for educating children and also aid, particularly psychological aid, for women who were captured by Islamic State (IS) and have managed to escape.
MEPs also stated that reconciliation between the different communities must be supported. “Iraq's wealth is in its cultural and religious diversity. We must protect this diversity. This is a priority”, said Ernst. She called for international recognition of the Yazidi genocide and for the protection of all minorities. “We were told that Europe's support is crucial for protecting minorities”, Gomes added.
“We need a new policy - a comprehensive policy that integrates all the elements (external policy, migration policy, humanitarian aid) otherwise the situation risks deteriorating still further”, said Weidenholzer. He stated that the MEPs were thinking of contacting High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in order to give her a document with concrete proposals.
These four MEPs visited Iraqi Kurdistan informally, and without authorisation, on 8-11 January. They met representatives from the government and parliament, and also refugees. (CG)