U.S., Canada, Germany, Japan to co-host pledging conference for Iraq in July

The United States will join with Canada, Germany and Japan to co-host a pledging conference in Washington, D.C. on July 20 in support of Iraq, the State Department said Wednesday.

The goal of the upcoming conference is to garner much needed financial contributions to address the challenges faced by the Iraqi people and to ensure the lasting defeat of the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq, the State Department said in a statement.

The reports from Iraqi city Fallujah in recent days on the "grave" humanitarian situation for those displaced are the most recent reminder of the human toll the conflict has had on vulnerable civilians, said the statement, stressing the "urgent need" for the international community to continue to support humanitarian and stabilization efforts in Iraq.

Iraqi government troops and allied militias have been fighting for months to reclaim key cities and towns in Anbar province from IS militants, who attempted to approach the capital city Baghdad after seizing most of the province.

Iraqi security forces on Tuesday extended their grip in the city of Fallujah, sweeping neighborhoods for pockets of IS militants in the northern part of the city.

The United Nations has established the Fund for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS) in Iraq, which supports the implementation of rapid stabilization projects. More than 725,000 displaced Iraqis have been able to return to their homes.

Due to the conflict and upheaval since January 2014, more than 3.4 million people are now displaced throughout Iraq and more than half are children. Across the country, over 10 million people are in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance. Enditem