Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (gov.krd) - Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received Dr. Ala Alwan, World Health Organisation Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean Region, EMRO, and his accompanying delegation in Erbil.

Dr Alwan presented his organisation’s assessment of the health situation in the Kurdistan Region, highlighting the activities of the Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Health in general and the Health General Directorate of the Governorate of Duhok in particular.

Dr Alwan said that despite the heavy burden supported by Duhok Health General Directorate, it has been able to provide medical and health services on a regular basis for the internally displaced Iraqis and the Syrian refugees in the camps as well as the residents of Duhok Governorate in general.

Since June last year, the Governorate of Duhok has been facing massive arrival of internally displaced people, mainly from Nineveh province, fleeing the repression of the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS. Out of 1.4 million IDPs and refugees who fled to the Kurdistan Region, more than 850,000 are settled in the Governrate of Duhok.

Dr Alwan also highlighted the role of World Health Organisation in trying to obtain donations and aid to meet the health problems in the Kurdistan Region. He pointed out that during his meetings with Iraqi Federal Government officials he had stressed Kurdistan Region’s urgent needs for health assistance and called on the Iraqi government to provide further medical and health aid to the Kurdistan Region.

Prime Minister Barzani expressed his gratitude for World Health Organisation’s assessment of the work of health authorities in the Kurdistan Region. He also thanked the world organisation for its cooperation and coordination with the relevant institutions in Kurdistan Region’s health sector.