Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq

Date:

Tue, 07/15/2014 - 10:00 AM

Location:

2103 Rayburn House Office Building

Announcement

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a staff briefing on the humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

As the violence in Iraq continues to intensify, the violation of the human rights of the Iraqi people continues to escalate. The sectarian policies of the government, expansion of the Islamic State (previously the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), and the resurgence of sectarian militias have led to a devastating humanitarian crisis in Iraq. Having taken control of land between Diyala, Iraq through to portions of Syria, the Islamic State has stated they are seeking to establish a caliphate enshrined in Islamic jurisprudence. In the wake of this renewed violence in Iraq, Iraqis have suffered mass displacement of citizens, disruption in the distribution of humanitarian aid, sectarian conflicts, attacks against minority populations and other alarming human rights violations. Join us as we hear from experts discuss the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Iraq.

Hosted by:

James P. McGovern
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC

Frank R. Wolf
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC

Witnesses

Panelists

Jana Mason, Senior Advisor for Government Relations and External Affairs, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Jillian Burns, Director of the Near East Region Office with the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Department of State
Pascale Warda, founding member of Hammurabi Human Rights Organization and former Iraqi Minister of Displacement and Migration
Sarah Margon, Washington Director, Human Rights Watch
Sarhang Hamasaeed, Senior Program Officer for Middle East and Africa, United States Institute of Peace

Moderator

Kenneth Katzman, Specialist in Middle Easter Affairs, Congressional Research Service

Accessibility

The Commission seeks to make its events, meetings and hearings accessible to persons with disabilities.

If you are in need of special accommodations, please call (202) 225-3599 at least four business days in advance.

Questions with regard to special accommodations in general (including availability of Commission materials in alternative formats and assistive listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.) may be directed to the Commission.