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New UN humanitarian chief visits Iraq

Xinhua, June 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

The UN under-secretary- general for humanitarian affairs, Stephen O'Brien, is in Iraq on Monday, where he met with senior Iraqi government officials as well as with people from Anbar and Salah al-Din Governorates who remain displaced in the capital Baghdad, a UN spokesman said here.

"Following his meeting with high-level officials including President Fuad Masum and Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jafaari, Mr. O'Brien said that we must do more for all the people in Iraq affected by this devastating conflict," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"Tomorrow he is expected to visit Erbil, to meet with Kurdistan regional officials and families who had fled violence and have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region in this past year," he said.

O'Brien, who was in Iraq on Sunday, is paying a three-day visit to the Middle East country. 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.

The humanitarian situation in Iraq is dire as we have been flagging here almost daily.

Nearly 3 million Iraqis have been displaced since last January and more than 8 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. Endite