Iraqi Kurds plead to allies for financial help
Reeling from the impact of lower oil prices on its budget, the Iraqi Kurds warned on Wednesday that they will be unable to maintain the fight against Isis if the US and other allies do not provide financial help. In a stark assessment of the financial pressures that the Kurdistan Regional Government is facing, Qubad […]Geoff Dyer and Shawn Donnan write for Financial Times:
Reeling from the impact of lower oil prices on its budget, the Iraqi Kurds warned on Wednesday that they will be unable to maintain the fight against Isis if the US and other allies do not provide financial help.
In a stark assessment of the financial pressures that the Kurdistan Regional Government is facing, Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister, said the region’s “massive deficit” of more than $100m a month was being aggravated by the cost of the conflict and of the large number of refugees.
“We are facing a very dire financial situation which, if we cannot resolve, will undoubtedly impact the ability of our forces to keep the front line the way that we have done,” Mr Talabani said during a visit to Washington.
