IRAQ: Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi visits a refugee camp in the Kurdish city of Arbil

Record ID: 274634

  • Title: IRAQ: Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi visits a refugee camp in the Kurdish city of Arbil
  • Date: 20th August 2014
  • Summary: BAHARKA, ARBIL, IRAQ (AUGUST 20, 2014) (REUTERS) REFUGEES AT CAMP QUEUING TO RECEIVE ITALIAN RELIEF ITEMS MORE OF REFUGEES QUEUING TO GET AID AID BOXES CARRYING ITALIAN FLAGS "GIFT OF THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT" AND ITALIAN FLAG ON BOXES WOMAN REFUGEE TAKING AID BOX VARIOUS OF REFUGEES CARRYING AID BOXES RETURNING TO THEIR PLACES MOTORCADE OF ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER MATTEO RE
  • Embargoed: 4th September 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,People,Social Services / Welfare
  • Reuters ID: LVA8FSQ70QNLJLBLGKHYWPPN8TM
  • Story Text: Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Wednesday (August 20) visited a refugee camp in the Kurdish city of Arbil, supervising the distribution of relief aid to Iraqis who have fled their homes during the advance of Islamic militants across the country.
    Renzi met with camp officials, toured the facility and expressed his thanks to the United States for intervening in the fight against Islamic State (IS), referring to the atrocities carried out in their name, including the brutal execution of U.S.journalist James Foley at the hands of IS extremists.
    "If we stopped to think about what we are talking about, children being shot dead, women being raped, husbands being killed, journalists killed, we would understand that we can't just talk about these issues." Renzi said, "For this reason humanitarian aid is right. The supply of arms to defend oneself is right. And a US intervention is right. Italy expresses its gratitude the United States and Obama."
    Renzi cut short short his summer holiday for the visit, which takes place as Italy's parliamentary committees meet to discuss the government's proposal to supply arms to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State guerrillas.
    About 200,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) have settled in Iraq's Kurdistan region since August when the city of Sinjar and neighbouring areas were seized by Islamic State, according to UNHCR.
    At least 11,000 people from the Yazidi minority have taken shelter inside Iraq's war-torn neighbour Syria, and about 300 more are crossing the Peshkabour border every day, it said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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