US pledges aid to displaced Iraqis

US President Barack Obama’s nominee to be the US ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones yesterday vowed Washington would try to help an estimated half a million people who have fled the fierce fighting in Iraq this week.

Speaking before a Senate committee, Jones said: “Extremists affiliated with ISIS are among the most dangerous terrorists in the world.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and will work with our international partners to try to meet the needs of those who have been displaced.”

Meanwhile, Dindar Zebari, the deputy head of the Kurdish Regional Government, said in a press conference held in Irbil yesterday that the number of displaced people who arrived in the region exceeded 280,000.

According to his statistics, approximately 100,000 arrived in Irbil and more than 180,000 arrived in the city of Duhok.