New UN relief chief to visit Iraq
Xinhua, June 6, 2015 Adjust font size:
The newly appointed UN under- secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Stephen O'Brien, will be traveling to Iraq for three days, starting Sunday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Friday.
O'Brien "will review progress with the humanitarian response and is expected to meet displaced families and senior Iraqi and Kurdish officials," Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. " The humanitarian situation in Iraq is dire as we have been flagging here almost daily."
Nearly three million Iraqis have been displaced since last January and more than eight million people need assistance across the country. Aid agencies urgently need access to vulnerable people in need, as well as funding for critical relief work.
"The visit will also focus on how the UN and humanitarian partners can best support the government of Iraq in providing assistance and protection for all the people in need," he said. Endite