Press release

UK aid drops continue over Mount Sinjar in Iraq

Further lifesaving UK aid for thousands of displaced people has been dropped by the Royal Air Force on Mount Sinjar in Northern Iraq.

• From: Department for International Development, Ministry of Defence and The Rt Hon Justine Greening
• Published: 12 August 2014
• Last updated: 12 August 2014 — See all updates

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

UK aid on the RAF Hercules aircraft being air dropped over northern Iraq. Picture: MOD

A second round of lifesaving UK aid for thousands of displaced people has been dropped by the Royal Air Force (RAF) on Mount Sinjar in Northern Iraq.

The supplies dropped over Mount Sinjar last night included 2 C130 consignments with a total of:

• 3,180 reusable water purification containers filled with clean water (15,900 litres of water in total)
• 816 solar lamps which can also be used to charge mobile phones

This is the second UK aid drop to be carried out by the RAF over Mount Sinjar. The first took place overnight on Saturday, with the RAF delivering bundles that included 1,200 reusable water containers, providing 6000 litres in total, and 240 solar lanterns that can also be used to recharge mobile phones.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said:

The humanitarian situation in Iraq area is deeply worrying. ISIS terrorists continue to contest towns and villages south of Erbil and in the Sinjar area and the Yazidi community face appalling conditions, cut off on Mount Sinjar.

UK aid is already helping the people who desperately need it. Last night the RAF successfully made a second drop of essential supplies, including 3,180 reusable containers filled with clean water.

Infographic: How the UK is supporting those affected by the humanitarian crisis in Iraq

RAF humanitarian aid air drop in to Iraq

Justine Greening announced £8 million in new assistance for those displaced in Iraq on 8 August. This brings to £13 million the total committed by the UK in response to the crisis. This includes:

• £2 million of emergency humanitarian supplies for 75,000 people, including aid that can be air dropped to help those trapped in the Sinjar Mountains as quickly as possible. Supplies will include reusable filtration containers filled with clean water, tarpaulins and basic shelter equipment, and solar lights that can also recharge mobile phones to enable communication
• £3 million of fast-tracked funding that will go to charities and NGOs who are already on the ground and helping displaced people in northern Iraq. This will go via DFID’s Rapid Response Facility, which has now been activated to deal with the crisis
• £2.5 million of support for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide immediate medical and humanitarian assistance
• a further £500,000 that will ensure Kurdish and UN systems are able to coordinate and respond to humanitarian needs in the region

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Published 12 August 2014
Last updated 12 August 2014 + show all updates

1. 12 August 2014

   Added video

2. 12 August 2014

   First published.