Saudi Arabia To Take In 1,000 Iraqi Orphans

Riyadh, 22 Jumadil Awwal 1437/1 March 2016 (MINA) – Saudi Arabia will take care of 1,000 Iraqi children in Kurdistan who lost their parents due to ISIS crimes.

Saudi Ambassador Thamer Al-Sabhan said that the step was taken following Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman directives in this regard, International Islamic News Agency (IINA) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

This assistance comes as an extension of the humanitarian aid the Kingdom provides to Arabs as per the royal directives, he said.

“The assistance to the war-affected is a reflection of the humanitarian role of the Kingdom, which is committed to religious, ethical and humanitarian duties”, said the ambassador.

He stressed, “Our brothers in Iraq are facing harsh and severe circumstances because of the crimes being committed by terrorist groups in the country. The humanitarian assistance will include all the children of Iraq”.

The Kingdom recently sent urgent aid to those affected by the conflict in Anbar province.

Saudi Arabia has also pledged $500 million in humanitarian assistance for Iraq to be disbursed through the UN to those in need regardless of sects or ethnicities.

The UN said that militant offensives have displaced hundreds of thousands of Iraqis in the country.

An estimated 1.2 million Iraqis have been displaced by fighting, including from Anbar and Ninewa governorates, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

The International Organization for Migration has called for the creation of humanitarian corridors, warning that tens of thousands of Iraqis displaced by violence are beyond the reach of aid agencies. (T/P006/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)