In a speech earlier today, the US Consul General to Erbil, Matthias Mitman, publicly voiced support for Iraqi Kurdistan‘s response to the refugee crisis, as well as its fight against ISIS.
Refugees in Kurdish Regions
Speaking at a press conference in Erbil, Matthias Mitman spoke about working with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the UN to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were being taken care of. Said Mitman,
We’re doing everything we can working with international donors, with the United Nations, to ensure security, to ensure basic human needs are met — shelter, food, clothing — of the IDPs, including Christians, Yezidis, Shabaks, even Shiite and Sunni.
Mitman assured reporters that the U.S. is doing everything it can to ensure the safety of the refugees while they’re in the Kurdish region of Iraq. According to KRG statistics, more than 1.5 million IDPs are living in the Kurdish region.
Supporting Fight Against ISIS
Mitman also spoke about defeating ISIS so that IDPs and refugees could return to their homes. To achieve this goal, the United States has been working with Peshmerga forces in Iraqi Kurdistan, and People’s Protection Unit (YPG) forces in Syrian Kurdistan.
US Consul General Matthias Mitman speaks to reporters in Erbil.
Regarding the outbreak of violence between the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) and the Turkish government, Mitman said that the United States supports a return to the peace process, and that “attacks should stop.”
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