Washington To Host Donors Conference For Iraq Next Month

The United States says it will co-host a donors conference next month with Canada, Germany, and Japan to raise funds for Iraqi civilians.

The gathering will be held in Washington on July 20, the U.S. State Department announced on June 22, adding that the funds raised will support United Nations' efforts to house, feed, and treat the displaced.

"Due to the conflict and upheaval since January 2014, more than 3.4 million people are now displaced throughout Iraq and more than half are children," the State Department said. "Across the country, over 10 million people are in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance."

According to the statement, the UN humanitarian response plan calls for $861 million and is only one-third funded.

"Over the coming months, humanitarian costs could climb to over $2 billion as potentially a million people are displaced from Mosul as military operations liberate Iraq's second-largest city" from the Islamic State extremist group, it added.

With reporting by AFP