22 December 2018 - 01:33

Spokesman says new Syria refugees to arrive in Kurdistan Region

<p style="text-align: left;">Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Spokesperson Safin Dizayee expressed concern on Friday, December 21, about the situation in northern Syria after U.S. decision to withdraw its forces from Syria and stated that new Syrian refugees may be forced to seek refuge in the Kurdistan Region as a result of the US decision.

The KRG is concerned about the US decision, not least because of how it may destabilize the security situation in areas where US troops had been deployed, Dizayee told VOA.

“Just like all the other parties with interests in Rojava (Syria Kurdistan), we will monitor the situation closely,” he said.

There are already an estimated 270,000 Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region.

“The US rollback may not have impact on the Kurdistan Region because the US forces and their military advisers have still a presence in Iraq, but Islamic State militants may infiltrate back into Iraq, which would have a negative effect on the security of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq,” he added.

Reporter’s code: 50101

News Code 35494