Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos statement on Iraq [EN/AR]

I am deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Iraq where more than 1.2 million people have fled their homes, fearing for their lives. As the security situation continues to worsen, I am extremely worried about the families urgently in need of water, food, shelter, healthcare, sanitation and protection from violence. Children are especially vulnerable to outbreaks of disease and malnutrition, made worse by poor conditions and searing summer temperatures.

The United Nations and partners are doing our best to support the humanitarian response despite the continued fighting in some areas and ongoing security constraints. Since January this year we have been helping the more than 560,000 people affected by fighting in Anbar Province. But we have struggled to raise the funds required.

The announcement by the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for an exceptionally generous contribution of US$500 million of humanitarian aid for Iraqis in need is extremely timely. I echo the UN Secretary-General's gratitude for the contribution. It will enable United Nations humanitarian agencies to rapidly scale up our efforts to prevent the spread of disease, support displaced families with clean water, food and vital supplies, provide children with vital nutrition supplements and other critical support.

This contribution is a strong sign of international solidarity with Iraqis trying to cope in a desperate situation.