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Britain providing $5m emergency aid to Iraq
Britain said on Saturday it would provide $5 million of emergency humanitarian assistance to help civilians fleeing the militants who have overrun a large chunk of northern Iraq.
| Five million dollars. How .. generous... |
The initial support package includes medicine, clean water and sanitation equipment, basic household items and hygiene kits for women. It also includes "protection for vulnerable girls and women through the deployment of dedicated UN safety and welfare teams" in camps, the Department for International Development said in a statement.
I borrow from Rambo in talking with the "dedicated UN safety and welfare teams" --
"We're here to help!"
"Did you bring weapons?"
"No! Certainly not!"
"Then you ain't helping." |
DFID humanitarian experts were sent to Iraq on Thursday.
In a tweet on Saturday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he had spoken to his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu "urgently to coordinate approaches to the instability in Iraq and links to Syria".
Hague had said on Wednesday there was "no question" of British troops being sent back to Iraq to help battle the militants who have seized control of key cities.
While the situation was of great concern, the government was "not countenancing at this stage any British military involvement", he said.
| He's not helping either... |
He added that he believed Iraq had sufficient forces to counter the threat.
| If they can be convinced to fight. That means leadership from sergeants, captains and colonels. Maliki has been replacing all the U.S. trained leaders from 2008 with his pals, so leadership may not be there. |
Iraqi commanders said on Saturday the army was preparing to fight back in the north of Baghdad, bolstered by thousands of Shia volunteers who have signed up.
Posted by: Steve White 2014-06-15 |
