US pledges extra $119 mn humanitarian aid for Iraq

The US said on Thursday it would add an additional $119 million for humanitarian aid in Iraq.

The announcement was made by Brett McGurk, the US special envoy for the coalition against the Islamic States (IS), in a meeting in Washington. It came three days after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared that Mosul in northern Iraq was liberated from the IS after nine months of fierce fighting, Xinhua reported.

The victory has been seen as a major milestone in the fight against the extremist militants in Iraq.

In the anti-IS meeting, McGurk also said that the United States hoped to see "similar contributions" from the coalition partners over the coming weeks.

McGurk mentioned that the United Nations had outlined a total appeal of 1.3 billion U.S. dollars for post-IS humanitarian and stabilization requirements.

After the liberation of Mosul, Iraq faces the immense challenge of restoring essential services and rebuilding its infrastructure. More than one million people from Mosul have been displaced by IS brutal rule.

--IANS

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