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EU backs humanitarian ‘aerial bridge’ for aid delivery to Iraq

This humanitarian action envisages dropping vital relief supplies from airplanes for refugees in hard-to-reach northern Iraqi regions
Humanitarian aid for Iraq is loaded to a German airforce Transall C-160 aeroplane EPA/MARTIN SCHLICHT / POOL
Humanitarian aid for Iraq is loaded to a German airforce Transall C-160 aeroplane
© EPA/MARTIN SCHLICHT / POOL

BRUSSELS, August 15. /ITAR-TASS/. The European Union has backed creation of a humanitarian “aerial bridge” to deliver aid to Iraqis, the EU Council of Foreign Ministers said in a final statement after its meeting in the Belgian capital on Friday.

This humanitarian action envisages dropping vital relief supplies from airplanes for refugees in hard-to-reach northern Iraqi regions.

The EU is deeply concerned over the hardest humanitarian situation in Iraq, massive forced fleeing of civilians mainly in northern regions due to attacks by Islamic State gunmen and armed groups connected with them.

In this regard, the EU foreign ministers’ council has welcomed allocations to back Iraq, involvement of the European emergency and crisis coordination centre in this supporting activity and intensification of civil defense mechanism for humanitarian aid delivery at a request of Iraqi government, including through creating “an aerial bridge” to northern Iraqi regions.