German aid to Iraq to exceed $1.06bn

German aid to Iraq will exceed €1 billion ($1.06 billion) this year, the newspaper Raenich Post reported yesterday.

The newspaper quoted the government’s reply to a query from members of the Green party on German funding for Iraq in which it said that, over the past three years, the various German ministries have funded humanitarian projects worth €790 million ($839 million).

The newspaper said that Germany has now become the second largest aid provider to Iraq, adding that Berlin has provided €94.4 million ($100 million) in military assistance to Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the form of training.

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Foreign policy expert at the Green party, Umid Noribor, criticised the government’s support to Iraq, saying: “It is, in principle, a good thing that the federal government is stepping up its aid for Iraq, but the German aid is only limited to fighting immigration from the country.”

The German lawmaker also condemned the government’s lack of a clear and long term policy to help Iraq in terms of promoting and supporting stability and democracy.