Funding of new UN appeal for worsening Iraqi humanitarian crisis desperately needed

[4 June 2015] With the number of Iraqis forced to flee their homes tripling in the last year to nearly 3 million, the launch of the new UN Humanitarian Response Plan for Iraq in the European Parliament today is a crucial opportunity for donor governments to both fund the aid effort and begin to address the underlying causes of the conflict, said Oxfam.

Responding to the Brussels meeting on Thursday, Oxfam’s Country Director in Iraq, Andres Gonzalez Rodriguez, said, “The families Oxfam works with are increasingly unable to cope with the devastating impact of the violence. With the UN now predicting that an additional 2 million Iraqi civilians will be affected by the end of 2015, donors need to urgently fund the new UN appeal to help those forced to flee their homes. While the funds are desperately required, so are efforts to address the political disillusionment, poor governance and sectarian divisions that have helped fuel the current crisis. Comprehensive engagement is needed to break the cycle of violence."

More than 8.2 million Iraqi civilians - or 1 in 4 people in the country - are in urgent need of aid.