The State Department is giving an additional $20 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq in response to the recent fighting in Fallujah.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees issued a direct appeal to the U.S. on Tuesday, requesting $17.5 million to help “meet the immediate needs of more than 85,000 people who have fled the embattled city in the past month.”
The U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund has already sent $15 million dollars to the region after Islamic State forces flooded the city.
“Humanitarian partners are working around the clock to provide shelter, water, healthcare, household kits and specialized support for the victims of gender and sexual-based violence,” read a statement from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “This CERF grant will allow us to rapidly scale up our efforts, so it could not be more timely.”
The State Department issued a press release urging other countries to contribute to the efforts, saying, “Other immediate needs include water and sanitation, shelter and food.”
