Archive for month: November, 2014

The Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister’s envoy for people who fled ISIS terrorist organization from Sinjar, Dr. Nouri Osman Sinjari, said that since the capture of the town by ISIS, 263,000 have fled to Duhok, 20,000 to Erbil, 20,000 to Slemani, and a few to neighbouring Turkey and Syria. He said many have been rescued from Sinjar Mountain.

In an interview with KRG.org, Dr. Nouri said the “KRG established this special representation office to monitor the situation and assess the needs of displaced people who fled ISIS persecution from Sinjar and its environs and who sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region due to the takeover of their homeland”.  With the arrival of winter rains and colder temperatures their needs have greatly increased.

About 10,000 people, mostly Yezidi Kurds, have decided to remain on Sinjar Mountain with Peshmerga and volunteer fighters to defend their homeland. The Prime Minister’s envoy explained, “Those still on the mountain remain by choice because they do not want to leave their homes. Some evacuated earlier but have returned to defend their homeland.  Some even came from Europe and have been killed in fighting ISIS terrorists.”

Iraqi and US forces continue to airdrop humanitarian supplies, including food and medicine, and the ill and injured are being evacuated. This action continues in cooperation with the Federal Government of Iraq. He lauded the support of the Iraqi President Dr. Fuad Masoum and Iraqi Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Babakir Zebari.

However, Dr. Nouri Osman Sinjari highlighted insufficient response by the Iraqi government in meeting the emergency needs of the displaced people who fled to the Kurdistan Region. The Region is host to 1.4 million displaced people from center-south Iraq, including 70,000 Christians and 300,000 Yezidis from Nineveh Governorate, and more than 200,000 refugees from Syria.

With the Federal Government of Iraq suspending funding to the Kurdistan Region since January, meeting the emergency needs of this exceptionally high number of displaced people has been particularly difficult.

Despite the formation of a national committee to assist displaced people, headed by Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Salih Al-Mutalq, the response has been inadequate, especially in the provision of health care. The KRG is in contact with the committee and continues to seek full support.

Dr. Nouri praised the role of the people of the Kurdistan Region and especially the people of Duhok Governorate for their support and offers of assistance to so many. Duhok is host to more displaced people than any other governorate in the country. He praised the Governor of Duhok and all government staff for their hard work.

He highlighted the efforts of the Duhok Directorate of Health which started a vaccination campaign to prevent epidemic diseases in cooperation and with support of international health organizations.  Despite inadequate Iraqi government funding, the KRG allocated about $100 million to Duhok for health services.  This includes funding to send serious cases abroad for treatment.

As the Kurdistan Region is the forefront of the fight against ISIS terrorism on behalf of the world, the Prime Minister’s envoy urged the international community, particularly the US and UK, to expand and accelerate military and humanitarian assistance.

With ISIS threatening further aggression and atrocities, Dr. Nouri said the situation in Sinjar remains alarming. Atrocities committed against Yezidis are being documented. Hundreds have been killed, buried in mass graves, with some bodies being uncovered by recent rains.

He noted that Yezidis are inseparable from their fellow Kurds. Their religious texts are written in Kurdish. The Prime Minister’s envoy concluded the KRG seeks the persecution of Yezidi Kurds to be internationally recognized as genocide.

Daban Shadala sat on a panel last week in the University of Nebrija to discuss “Kurdistan in front of its new Jihadist enemy”. The KRG Representative to Spain was invited to speak among other guests to a seminar entitled “The New Geography of Terrorism: A Vision from Spain” in Madrid’s Nebrija University.

The panel included Spain’s previous Ambassador to Iraq Mr Ignacio Ruperez Rubio who gave an in-depth analysis of the history of terror in Iraq, how it arrived, set roots and developed into the current form that exists. He was followed by His Excellency Mohammad Hassan Fadaifard, Iran’s Ambassador to Spain. The Ambassador discussed Iran’s role in the conflict placing specific emphasis on supporting the Iraqi government forces as well as the Peshmerga forces fighting and defending the northern front. Also sitting on the panel was Iraq’s Ambassador to Spain, His Excellency Mr Wadee Al Batti.

The KRG Representative to Spain then gave an insight into how the KRG has been dealing with its new “neighbour” since the start its Northern advance back in June. He welcomed the international efforts that have been made to support the Peshmerga who have been “fighting the terrorist group on the ground to defend the principles and way of life of the free world.” Daban Shadala however called for more international support in order to help defeat the group and to provide more humanitarian aid and finances to help ease the crisis facing those from the affected areas who have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region. Moreover, the KRG Rep to Spain emphasised the importance for European & western countries to do more to prevent the radicalisation of youths by countering the Islamist ideology in home countries.

Professor Waleed Saled Alkhalifa who runs the Arabic and Islamic Studies department at the Autonomous University of Madrid then provided his insight into the importance and necessity of the international coalition in defeating ISIS.

Yesterday the KRG Representative to Spain Daban Shadala appeared before the Commission of Coexistence and International Solidarity of the Parliament of Navarra to brief members on the latest developments in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the refugee situation, & the ongoing violation of human rights committed by ISIS.

Daban Shadala presented a case for humanitarian assistance to the Kurdistan Region to members of the commission, which included members of all parties in the parliament: GP Unión del Pueblo Navarro, the G. P. Socialists of Navarre, the G. P. BILDU-Navarre, the G. P. Navarre aralar-Bai, the G. P. People of the Parliament of Navarra and G. P. Left-Ezkerra.

All members of the commission expressed their solidarity with the Kurdish people & their willingness to provide full political support to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Daban Shadala thanked the Parliament of Navarre for the support and solidarity it expressed. The Board of Spokespersons adopted unanimously on October 13th an official statement by the Parliament of Navarre denouncing the military escalation in Iraq that has threatened and continues to pose a threat to Kurdish territory.

Daban Shadala was then received by the President of the Parliament of Navarra, Alberto Catalán Higueras, who welcomed him and conveyed his solidarity and support to the Kurds: “We continue to closely monitor the situation in the Kurdistan Region and we assure you that you have the full support of the people of Navarra and Spain in your fight against global terrorism. ”

Daban Shadala in turn thanked the President of Parliament for the support and solidarity, saying that “The Kurdistan region currently hosts over 1.5 refugees and IDPs. This number of people is very high considering that the population of the region is just over 4.6 million. We are currently providing shelter to a number of minorities including Yazidi Kurds, Christians, Arabs, Shabaks, Kakai’s. Kurdistan has become a home of peace and safety for all persecuted peoples of Iraq. Our resources are insufficient to meet the basic needs of those seeking refuge, so we are asking for help from our friends around the world.”

Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani on Monday received a European Union delegation headed by Mr. Hugues Mingarelli, the Managing Director for North Africa, Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq at the European External Action Service, along with EU officials and the EU Ambassador to Iraq.

The delegation discussed the military, security and humanitarian situation in the Kurdistan Region and highlighted their aim to enhance cooperation and coordination between the Kurdistan Region and the European Union. Long-term energy cooperation was also discussed.

The delegation fully appreciates the Kurdistan Region faces very serious security challenges and is in the forefront of the fight against terrorism. The Region as host to displaced people and its role in providing humanitarian assistance were commended.  The EU delegation reiterated its support during this period of exceptional security and humanitarian need.

The EU delegation’s visit to Baghdad was also discussed noting that it urged the Iraqi Government to include all Iraqi communities in the political process, increase decentralization of political and economic authority to the regions and provinces in accordance with the Iraqi Constitution, and to resolve issues with the Kurdistan Region.

Prime Minister Barzani lauded the role of the EU in supporting the fight against terrorism and stressed requirements for more enhanced, heavy weaponry and training. Cooperation and coordination with Turkey in facilitating Iraqi Peshmerga to reinforce Kobani with heavy weapons was also discussed.

With the start of winter rains and decreasing temperatures the desperate plight of an overwhelming number of displaced people who have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region was featured in the discussions.  Prime Minister Barzani affirmed, despite limited resources, the people and the KRG have welcomed and offered help and support to all who have been forced to leave their homes and will continue to do so.

It is noted that 20% of the more than 1.4 million displaced people in the Kurdistan Region are refugees from Syria for which more humanitarian assistance is urgently required from the international community. 80% are internally displaced persons, IDPs, from areas of Iraq outside the Kurdistan Region, including Arab Sunnis from Anbar Province adjacent to Baghdad, and Christians and Yezidis from neighboring Nineveh Province.

It is in the mutual interests of both the Kurdistan Region and the EU to develop closer relations, to improve relations with neighboring and regional countries, and to resolve outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad.