KRG Considers Opening Borders for Food Supplies to Syria 3/1

[Piling]

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) says it is debating whether to open an official border crossing with Kurdish regions of war-wracked Syria to facilitate urgent food and basic supplies.

The office of KRG President Massoud Barzani “is seriously debating the issue and will decide on it in the next three days,” said Hamid Darbandi, a presidential official.

Abdulbaqi Yousif, the representative of Syria’s Kurdish Union Party (Yekiti) told Rudaw that his and other Kurdish groups had urged Robert Ford, the US ambassador in Damascus, to encourage and oversee the opening of a border crossing with Iraqi Kurdistan.The Kurdish National Council (KNC), an alliance of Kurdish groups in Syria, late last month officially asked the KRG to open its side of two border crossings with Syrian Kurdistan, saying people were deprived of basic needs and would be forced to evacuate cities without help.

While Kurdish Syrian refugees have flowed into Iraqi Kurdistan, getting food and urgent supplies to the other side has been more complicated.

Reports in recent months had said that armed members of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) -- the dominant Kurdish party in Syria but with alleged ties to the Syrian regime -- were imposing heavy taxes on food supplies, and that KRG authorities had closed borders in response.

Yousif urged PYD leaders to freely allow food supplies into Kurdish cities once the border officially opens.

“Even a German NGO that was bringing humanitarian aid to Syrian Kurdistan was taken over by the PYD,” Yousif said.

Meanwhile, PYD leaders defended their group, referring to a visit by party leader Salih Muslim to Baghdad where he urged Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to open borders with Syria.“We asked Maliki to open all of Iraq’s borders with Syria so that humanitarian aid and other needs reach the people,” Abdulsalam Ahmed, a member of the People’s Council and close associate of the PYD, told Rudaw.

[Anthea]

That is it Barzani just sit there and debate for a few more days. The longer you sit and debate the less people will still be alive and needing help

[talsor]

That is it Barzani just sit there and debate for a few more days. The longer you sit and debate the less people will still be alive and needing help

did you even read the article ? Perhaps this will help


armed members of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) -- the dominant Kurdish party in Syria but with alleged ties to the Syrian regime -- were imposing heavy taxes on food supplies, and that KRG authorities had closed borders in response.

Yousif urged PYD leaders to freely allow food supplies into Kurdish cities once the border officially opens.

“Even a German NGO that was bringing humanitarian aid to Syrian Kurdistan was taken over by the PYD,” Yousif said.

PYD refused to terminate or lower the taxes on "humanitarian assistant " and went directly to Al maliki to ask for help . Do you see where the problem is or do you need further explanation .

[Piling]

How many refugees KRG has welcomed and sheltered without any kind of help from the so-called 'Friend of Syria' countries ? They have already sheltered near than 50 000 christians and other minorities, even Roms, while no other countries especially Western, move a finger. Now they have welcomed thousands of Kurds in a short time. That's not fair to say they are just sitting and chatting.

Concerning the problem with the PYD they suspect that if they give food, population will never eat a piece of bread of this supply, but all will be sold or spent by PYD and YPG. All humanitarian NGO's have been once faced to that dilemma : Sending help that will be steal by militias instead of feeding population. That was the case in Somalia and other African countries. Too bad that W. Kurdistan has reached a such level.

[Anthea]

How could there ever be any Kurdish unity if one group of Kurds take the food and water from another