New Delhi, Oct 28: India has pledged USD 30 million for humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation efforts in war-ravaged Iraq and is "watching with concern" the recent wave of violence there, External Affairs Ministry spokesman said today. This pledge was given by New Delhi at Madrid Donors' Conference on Iraq earlier this month. New Delhi was represented at the conference by Minister of State for External Affairs Vinod Khanna and senior officials.
Asserting that India was committed to giving as much humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance as possible to Iraq, the spokesman said the USD 30 million announced was New Delhi's pledge till 2004.
Replying to a question on the recent series of bomb blasts in Iraq, he said "India like the rest of the world is watching with concern" the spate of violence there.
He said of the USD 30 million, a maternity and paedriatic hospital to be built by India in Najaf with Jordanian assistance is expected to cost around USD 10 million.
Details about the assistance announced by India and several other countries for Iraq would be worked out at another donors' conference to identify priorities and specific projects, he said, adding that India was keen to provide assistance in HRD, power generation and medical sectors among others fields.
Bureau Report