After Pompeo-Hussein meet U.S. Announces Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq
The United States remains the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance in Iraq and globally.
By IAR Desk
The United States on Wednesday, August 19,2020 announced nearly $204 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Iraq, Iraqi refugees in the region, and to generous communities hosting them.
The announcement came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad FHussein in Washington.
“Good meeting with Foreign Minister Hussein today to discuss the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Dialogue. I expressed my support for the government’s efforts to address the Iraqi people’s demands for a more just nation and a budget deal for the Kurdistan Region,” Pompeo said.
Both ministers confirmed their commitment to the Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA) that establishes a long term cooperation and friendship between the two countries.
“The Secretary encouraged the Foreign Minister to continue efforts to address the Iraqi people’s demands for a more equitable and just nation, and he expressed support for a budget agreement between the federal and Kurdistan regional governments, as well as proposed early elections next year,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said
The $204 million aid is additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Iraq and Iraqi refugees in the region
This funding includes nearly $133 million from the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and more than $71 million from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. This funding brings the total for the U.S. humanitarian response for Iraq to more than $706 million since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2019. In addition, the United States has provided $49.5 million in COVID assistance in Iraq and more than $22.7 million to date in Fiscal Year 2020 to assist over 244,000 Syrian refugees in Iraq.
This assistance is meant for supporting and providing shelter, essential healthcare, emergency food assistance, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services across Iraq. It will also improve access to civil documentation and legal services, the capacity of health care facilities and increase access to education and livelihoods opportunities.
“The United States remains the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance in Iraq and globally, in line with our National Security Strategy,” the State Department said.
Iraq’s relations with the USA has been on a precarious footing with the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Suleimani and Iraqi Shi’ite leader Abu Mohhandis at the start of the year in Baghdad. There has been regular missile attacks on US bases in the country, including in the high security diplomatic zone in the capital Baghdad, blamed on Shi’ite militia groups close to Teheran.
Pompeo targetted these groups, saying “Armed groups not under the full control of the prime minister have impeded our progress. Those groups need to be replaced by local police as soon as possible. I assured Dr Fuad that we could help and we would help.”
