Debate on humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq
The grave humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq, aggravated by the violence of the so-called Islamic State, will be debated with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Wednesday. Over 7.6 million Syrians have been displaced inside the country, and 3.8 million more have fled to neighbouring ones. In Iraq, over 2.1 million people were displaced in 2014 and the UNHCR estimates that some 330,000 refugees face a winter living in sub-standard shelters. A resolution will be voted on Thursday.
The Kurdistan region of Iraq alone is hosting over 900,000 displaced people.
In a debate with Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs on 2 February, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, argued that the "horrible aspect" of the arrival of IS offered an opportunity to find a solution to the Syrian conflict.
Procedure: Statement by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission (with resolution)
Debate: Wednesday, 11 February
Vote: Thursday, 12 February
#Syria #Iraq #IS