KRG Office in Poland launched a platform to coordinate activities of charity organization helping refugees who found shelter in Kurdistan

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Warsaw, Poland – At the KRG office on January 19, 2016 took place a New Year’s meeting with institutions and organisations which bring humanitarian aid for refugees in Kurdistan. The meeting ended up with important decision – all involved charity organisation in Poland and ministry of foreign affairs will coordinate their activities aimed to help refugees in need, who found safe shelter in Kurdistan under the common platform and with support of KRG office in Poland. The KRG office in Poland designated a person who will coordinate all activities and will update all partners about the current needs.
In the meeting, headed by Ziyad Raoof, the KRG Representative to Poland, took part the following representatives of organisations and institutions:
– Ambasador Stanis?aw Smole?, Department of Arfica and Middle East, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
– Priest Mateusz Boguszewski, director of polish department office “Aid to the Church in Need”,
– Priest Tomasz Jegierski – president of “SOS for Life”,
– B. Dziadkowiec – “SOS for Life”,
– Grzegorz Gruca – vice president of Polish Humanitarian Aid,
– Anna Walczyk – president of “Anna Walczyk Foundation”,
– Leszek David Lazowski – president of Humanitarian Resources International Foundation (HRIF)
– Andrzej Anto? – migration coordinator – Polish Red Cross,
– Marta Titaniec, project coordinator, Caritas Poland.
The meeting started with Ziyad Raoof’s speech. He thanked everyone for coming. He expressed his gratitude for their past commitment in providing support for refugees. He wished a fruitful new 2016 year and continuation in providing help. Then, he presented the current situation in Kurdistan, Iraq and in the Middle East, mentioned the main problems that Kurdistan Region faces and the most urgent humanitarian needs: to supplement the shortage of chlorine for water purification and shortages of medicines, reconstruction of the destroyed city Shingal.
The KRG Representative informed that the main aim of the meeting is the need to create a platform to coordinate efforts of all organisations and institutions which help refugees in Kurdistan. Ziyad Raoof stressed that the solution of the refugees migration to Europe is in the Middle East, include Kurdistan. The key to solve the crisis is to provide to refugees the possibility to return to their own houses.
Then, Stanis?aw Smolenski, the former polish ambassador to Iraq, current employee at the Africa and Middle East Department, MFA. He confirmed that MFA is still engaged in humanitarian aid. Iraqi Kurdistan is on the priority territory list and the projects implemented there will have priority. Stanis?aw Smole? announces the further activation of Polish Consular Agency in Erbil and political presence of Poland in the Middle East.
Next, the other representatives of charity organisations presented reports of their activities in 2015, plan for 2016 and reflections about idea of contact platform. They agreed that there is a need to coordinate such actions because different organisations have different experience in providing help in Kurdistan and different field of operations. Also, they shared valuable comments and suggestions, like: concern activisms of Kurdish diaspora in Europe as well in Poland to help refugees who live in Kurdistan, to promote all activities in Polish and Kurdish media.
Ziyad Raoof thanked for all suggestions and he stated that such a meeting will be organised regularly.