Erbil, Baghdad agree to coordinate IDP returns
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Erbil and Baghdad have agreed to work together to facilitate the return of displaced Iraqis to their homes.
They discussed the situation of Nineveh IDPs sheltering in the Kurdistan Region and what obstacles are preventing their return home.
Over two million Iraqis are currently displaced from their homes. Of those, 1.1 million are registered within the Kurdistan Region.
The two delegations decided to establish a committee with representatives from Alaq’s office and the KRG’s crisis coordination centre to facilitate returns and increasing services for those who do return to their homes.
Many of the Iraqis sheltering in the Kurdistan Region are from areas of Nineveh province – Mosul and Shingal – that are still destroyed by war.
Efforts to rebuild these areas have been slow, but recent activity indicates things may finally be getting underway.
A massive clean up campaign with 300 vehicles digging through Mosul’s Old City began on Wednesday. The enormous job has been delayed because of lack of funds, though monies still aren’t guaranteed.
“All participates in the campaign are working in hopes they’ll be paid when the funds arrive,” Jamal Sellu, director of engineering in Nineveh, told AFP.
Earlier this month, Baghdad announced a plan to start rebuilding Shingal.
Iraq will need an estimated $100 billion to reconstruct the country after the war with ISIS.
Erbil and Baghdad also agreed to work on opening routes between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq – roads that were closed last October when Iraqi forces took control of the disputed areas.
The two sides also pledged to provide financial aid to Yezidi girls and women who have been freed from ISIS captivity.
Several top Iraqi officials including Immigration Minister Darbaz Muhammad, Deputy Interior Minister Fariq Movafaq, and Nineveh Governor Nofal Hamadi participated in the meeting.
A delegation from Baghdad headed by Mahdi al-Alaq, chief of staff for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, visited Erbil and met with a KRG delegation led by Interior Minister Karim Sinjari, the KRG announced in a statement.
They discussed the situation of Nineveh IDPs sheltering in the Kurdistan Region and what obstacles are preventing their return home.
Over two million Iraqis are currently displaced from their homes. Of those, 1.1 million are registered within the Kurdistan Region.
The two delegations decided to establish a committee with representatives from Alaq’s office and the KRG’s crisis coordination centre to facilitate returns and increasing services for those who do return to their homes.
Many of the Iraqis sheltering in the Kurdistan Region are from areas of Nineveh province – Mosul and Shingal – that are still destroyed by war.
Efforts to rebuild these areas have been slow, but recent activity indicates things may finally be getting underway.
A massive clean up campaign with 300 vehicles digging through Mosul’s Old City began on Wednesday. The enormous job has been delayed because of lack of funds, though monies still aren’t guaranteed.
“All participates in the campaign are working in hopes they’ll be paid when the funds arrive,” Jamal Sellu, director of engineering in Nineveh, told AFP.
Earlier this month, Baghdad announced a plan to start rebuilding Shingal.
Iraq will need an estimated $100 billion to reconstruct the country after the war with ISIS.
Erbil and Baghdad also agreed to work on opening routes between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq – roads that were closed last October when Iraqi forces took control of the disputed areas.
The two sides also pledged to provide financial aid to Yezidi girls and women who have been freed from ISIS captivity.
Several top Iraqi officials including Immigration Minister Darbaz Muhammad, Deputy Interior Minister Fariq Movafaq, and Nineveh Governor Nofal Hamadi participated in the meeting.