Humanitarian aid from EU reaches Iraq

Humanitarian aid from the European Union (EU) has reached Iraq, an EU statement said on Monday.
This aid, added by another 5 million euros last week, is already providing assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism following a request by the Iraqi authorities to the European Commission's President Jose Manuel Barroso, the statement said.
The European Commissioner for International Cooperation Kristalina Georgieva is in Iraq for the second time this year, together with Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Carl Bildt.
They are consulting with the Iraqi leadership in Baghdad before traveling to the north of the country to assess humanitarian needs and response.
"The activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism ensures that European aid can rapidly reach those areas most affected by the fighting," Georgieva said in the statement.
The United Nations last week declared the crisis in Iraq a 'Level Three' emergency, the highest ranking for a humanitarian crisis which is already in place for Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.