Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received Italian Ambassador to Iraq, Marco Carnelos, and his accompanying delegation.

Ambassador Carnelos praised the role of the Peshmerga forces who confront the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS, on behalf of the entire world, reiterating his government’s support to Kurdistan Region in the war against terrorism.

He stressed that he will work to strengthen the relations between Italy and Kurdistan Region in all fields, particularly in military, humanitarian, and economic domains.

Ambassador Carnelos reiterated his support for the settlement of the issues between Kurdistan Region and Baghdad.

Prime Minister Barzani thanked Ambassador Carnelos for his visit, saying “It is an honour for the Kurdistan Region that its Peshmerga forces fight ISIS on behalf of the entire world.”

He expressed his gratitude to the Italian government, as it was among the countries that had helped the Kurdistan Region since the early days when it started confronting ISIS. He said the visit by Italian Prime Minister was the best support.

Regarding relations between Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, Prime Minister Barzani stressed the necessity of  settling the issues through dialog and negotiations.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) – The Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, has been struggling to provide adequate humanitarian assistance to an overwhelming number of Iraqi internally displaced persons, IDPs, and Syrian refugees. 

However, according to the KRG Ministry of Planning, the Kurdistan Region needs further assistance from United Nation agencies and the international community in order to be able to continue providing such assistance.

Director General for Capital Investment and Budget in the KRG Ministry of Planning, Mr. Zagros Fattah, told the KRG website that the financial burden on the KRG has increased dramatically and it can hardly afford to provide adequate assistance to the already settled over 1.5 million refugees and IDPs, who have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region.

He warned that additional IDPs are anticipated as military efforts are taken to liberate Mosul and other places currently under the domination of the Islamic State terrorist organization, ISIS. Despite the best efforts made by the KRG, it is beyond its capacity to adequately meet the basic humanitarian needs of all IDPs and refugees.

“Although the Federal Government of Iraq claims it lacks funds to assist the IDPs, it seems there is no political will to do so. Internally displaced families are fragile Iraqi nationals and it is the utmost duty and responsibility of the Iraqi Federal Government to support the KRG in providing assistance to them,” Zagros Fattah said.

Most displaced people arrived in 2014 during a time when the KRG was facing severe financial difficulties. The Iraqi Federal Government stopped providing the KRG its share of national revenue, as earlier agreed.

According to a World Bank report published in February 2015, Baghdad’s refusal to send the Kurdistan Region budget in 2014, combined with the refugee and IDP crisis, adversely impacted all productive and social sectors in Kurdistan Region. "Together the wave of refugees and IDPs exerted a huge pressure on the KRG as it exceeds 28 percent of its own population", said the World Bank report.

The World Bank projected the KRG needs US$ 1.4 billion to stabilize the influx of displaced people at the current level, without allowing for additional IDPs.  If 300,000 additional IDPs flee to the Kurdistan Region this projection could rapidly rise to over US$ 2 billion.

According to the UNHCR Global Appeal 2015 Report, “The escalation of armed conflict across the central governorates of Iraq, and the constantly changing security situation, have resulted in new and secondary movements of internally displaced people across central Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq”.

In a joint statement by the KRG and United Nations on 26 March 2015, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq as well as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Lise Grande, stated that, “This is a major humanitarian emergency. It’s imperative that we as the international community support the Kurdistan Regional Government in assisting the victims of ISIL.”

Since the liberation of Tikrit, according to the Head of Emergency Committee in Sulaymanya Governorate, Aziz Sofi, an additional 3,000 families fled from Anbar and sought safety in the governorate.

“Although Tikrit is now liberated, but no family is willing to return to the city due to security concern”, said Sofi.
According to the latest International Organisation for Migration, IOM, report published in April, 28,170 additional IDPs fled to Erbil Governorate and 3,042 to Duhok Governorate. 

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - According to the April 2015 report published by the Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, Ministry of Natural Resources, KRG commitments under the 2015 Federal Budget Law have been met, and oil production has reached record levels.

According to an agreement on oil export and budget, reached last December between the KRG and the Federal Government of Iraq, Kurdistan Region is committed to export 550,000 bpd (barrels per day) in return for a budget entitlement close to one billion US dollars per month to be paid by the federal government. The agreement was approved within the framework of the Iraqi Federal Budget Law for 2015.

In April, the Kurdistan Regional Government delivered to the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Company, SOMO, a total 16,878,985 barrels for an average of 562,633 bpd.

Kurdistan Region oilfields supplied 12,457,371 barrels averaging 415,246 bpd, while North Oil Company (NOC) oilfields, Kirkuk, supplied 4,421,614 barrels averaging 147,387 bpd. Oil from both sources is exported through a KRG pipeline to the Turkish oil export facility at Ceyhan.

In March the KRG published cumulative export data, noting that while it met its oil export commitments, the KRG has yet to receive its full entitlement per agreement under the Federal Budget Law of 2015.

Last week, in two separate meetings, the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister and a number of members of the Council of Ministers, met Kurdistan Region Baghdad representatives, and the Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament along with Parliamentary groups.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed KRG’s commitment to the December agreement and the Iraqi 2015 Federal Budget Law. He pointed out, however, that if talks with Baghdad do not produce positive results and Baghdad continues its breach of the Federal Budget Law, then the KRG will have to consider other options to stabilise the Region’s financial security.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister yesterday received United Nations Special Representative for Iraq, Ján Kubiš and his accompanying delegation.

The meeting focused on the agreement, signed last December, between Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, and the Federal Government of Iraq on oil export and budget, as well as Iraq’s 2015 Budget Law. It highlighted Kurdistan Region’s commitment to the agreement.

Prime Minister Barzani expressed his concern for the fact that the Federal Government of Iraq has not been honouring its commitment to the agreement with Kurdistan Region.

He pointed out that the agreement was reached following appeal and support from United Nations, United States and United Kingdom. He urged the three sides to play their role and urge Baghdad to meet its obligations under the agreement and the Budget Law.

In another part of the meeting, the two sides emphasised on further cooperation between United Nation agencies and Kurdistan Regional Government, particularly in dealing with possible increase in numbers of internally displaced people.

They reaffirmed the necessity of further commitment of the international community in assisting Kurdistan Region relevant institutions and United Nations agencies, particularly those which work in humanitarian fields.

The two sides also discussed the latest developments in Iraq, the situation in Anbar Province, and the security situation in the region in general.