BAGHDAD, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said on Thursday that the European Union offered 50 million euros (56 million U.S. dollars) to support stabilization and reconstruction of Mosul in Iraq.
A joint EU and UN delegation, including Christos Stylianides, the European commissioner for humanitarian aid, and Alexander De Croo, the Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of finance, as well as Marta Ruedas, deputy special envoy of UN Secretary-General, announced the financial aid during a visit to stabilization and development projects in Mosul, capital of Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, the statement said.
The EU will provide 30 million euros to the 2019 humanitarian response plan for Iraq, while another 20 million euros will be offered in development funding that would contribute to the reconstruction of the country's cultural heritage, as well as the creation of jobs and opportunities for the vulnerable youth, the statement said.
"IS group has been defeated on the battleground but we must continue to fight against their poisonous ideology," Stylianides said.
"We must address the root causes of this conflict and respond to the basic needs of all affected Iraqis. Otherwise, we may risk winning the battle on the ground but fail in the peace, with new cycles of violence," he added.
"The European Union will continue to support all aspects of the crisis in Iraq, supporting Iraqi authorities, and showing tangible solidarity with the Iraqi people for as long as it takes," the EU commissioner concluded.
The consequences of conflict with the IS militants continue to affect Iraq after months of fierce battles to dislodge them from their strongholds in the north and west of the country.
"With liberated areas in need of rehabilitation of houses, infrastructure and services, 1.8 million Iraqis remain displaced while an estimated 6.6 million will continue to need some kind of humanitarian assistance in 2019, with over half of those in Nineveh Province alone," the statement said.
"It is estimated that 5.5 million people need health support and 2.6 million children need access to education. Education is integrated into broader assistance, to cover children's physical and mental health, psychosocial support and protection aid," the statement added.
