page_title: American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
section_title: Humanitarian efforts
hierarchical_section_title: American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present) / Contributions to intervention since August 2014 / Humanitarian efforts
caption_attribution_description: English: Bundles of water inside of a C-17 Globemaster III before a humanitarian airdrop over Iraq, Aug. 8, 2014 by the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron of the United States Air Force.
context_page_description: An American-led intervention in Iraq started on 15 June 2014, when President Barack Obama ordered United States forces to be dispatched to the region, in response to offensives in Iraq conducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. At the invitation of the Iraqi government, American troops went to assess Iraqi forces and the threat posed by ISIL.
  In early August 2014, ISIL attacked Kurdish-held territory in northern Iraq, and captured three towns in northern Iraq, close to the autonomous region of Kurdistan. In response, on 5 August, the United States started supplying the Kurdish Peshmerga forces with weapons. On 7 August, the United States also started humanitarian aid air droppings of food, water, and medicine for civilians fleeing ISIL in the Sinjar Mountains. On the next day, 8 August, the United States began airstrikes against ISIL positions in Iraq. Since then, in coalition with the United States, nine countries have also executed airstrikes on ISIL in Iraq. These airstrikes have been operating more or less in concert with ground warfare by Kurdish and Iraqi government forces against ISIL.
context_section_description: The United States and international partners have undertaken a large humanitarian effort to support refugees stranded in northern Iraq with airdropped supplies.
  On 7 August, 2 Lockheed C-130 Hercules's and 1 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III dropped tens of thousands of meals and thousands of gallons of drinking water to Yazidi refugees who were stranded in the Sinjar Mountains by advancing ISIL forces. On 9 August 2014, U.S. aircraft again dropped humanitarian supplies over northern Iraq, this time consisting of 4,000 gallons of drinking water and 16,000 ready-to-eat meals.
  On 10 August, the United Kingdom began humanitarian supply airdrops to the Yazidi refugees on Mount Sinjar.
  On the night of 13–14 August, a 16-aircraft mission including US C-17s and C-130Hs, a British C-130J, and an Australian C-130J airdropped supplies to Yezidi civilians trapped on Mount Sinjar in what was later described as "the first mass air delivery of humanitarian cargo since the outbreak of violence in East Timor in 1999."
  Humanitarian intervention efforts per country:
   Australian C-130J transport aircraft from the Royal Australian Air Force based in the Middle East on 13/14 August 2014, started airdropping humanitarian aid in Northern Iraq.
   Denmark  has committed a C-130 transport aircraft and money for relief efforts.
   France plans to contribute to ongoing humanitarian efforts in Iraq, in addition to offering asylum to Iraqi Christians fleeing the violence.
   Germany ramped up humanitarian spending in Northern Iraq and sent 4 transport aircraft.
   Greece sent humanitarian aid to the Kurds of Northern Iraq.
   Italy  started humanitarian support.
   Sweden  expressed support for military assistance by others but for legal reasons will only provide humanitarian support.
   United Kingdom made humanitarian supply airdrops to Yazidi refugees on Mount Sinjar starting on 10 August 2014, using Royal Air Force C-130's operating from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, while surveillance was provided by Panavia Tornado GR4s. It has been announced that Boeing Chinooks will also be deployed.
   New Zealand's Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced that New Zealand will provide $500,000 to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to help people displaced by fighting in Iraq.
   The  European Commission of the European Union  announced it would boost humanitarian aid to Iraq to €17m, and approved special emergency measures to meet the crisis. On 15 August 2014, 20 of the 28 EU foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss military and humanitarian assistance.
caption: Water is loaded on a U.S. C-17 for an airdrop on 8 August.
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