On Monday 9 January, the European Commission announced that three new planes carrying emergency humanitarian assistance from Austria and France have arrived in Iraq. In total, 266 tonnes of emergency assistance have been channelled through the EU's civil protection mechanism since the initial shipments were sent to Mosul in mid-December 2016 (see EUROPE 11688).
Six EU member states (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, France and Sweden) and Norway have given tents, blankets, generators, hygiene equipment, five tonnes of medicine and medical equipment to help civilians displaced by the military operations in Mosul. The flights have been co-financed by the European Commission and the assistance has been coordinated by its emergency response coordination centre (ERCC).
In a press release, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides thanks "all countries who have channelled support through the EU's civil protection mechanism". He states that "this aid can make a real difference for civilians trapped inside Mosul and other locations affected by the conflict and those displaced by the fighting who are facing extremely dire conditions". He underlines that is "crucial to ensure the protection of all civilians and the respect of international humanitarian law".
Key priorities are support to the people during winter and emergency post-trauma care. The Commission announces that additional material will be shipped to Iraq in the coming weeks. This material assistance complements the EU's humanitarian aid, of over €159 million in 2016, to Iraq through the Commission's partner organisations on the ground. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)