SEOUL– South Korea’s overseas aid agency plans to establish two facilities this year to support female victims of wartime gender-based violence in northern Iraq, officials said Thursday.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) said that the “One-Stop Support Centers for Women Victimized by War Violence” aim to offer some 93,000 Iraqi women various forms of assistance, including treatment, psychological counseling and legal support.
The construction plan is part of a US$2.99 million project that the KOICA, along with the United Nations Population Fund, pledged earlier this month to implement to support Iraqi women who suffered from sexual or other gender-based violence during wartime.
South Korea’s Ambassador to Iraq Jang Kyung-wook welcomed the project, voicing hope it will help address the victims’ suffering.
“The IS war is still ongoing in that it continues to cause great suffering to Iraqi people and women,” Jang was quoted as saying, referring to the Islamic State group.
“This project will provide an opportunity to heal the wounds of Iraqi women who have been victims of war violence and empower them to recover their lives,” he added.
Over the last 17 years since 2003, KOICA has also provided a total of $360 million in grant aid for Iraq’s economic and social development.
Source: Yonhap News Agency