Hollande pledges to deliver humanitarian supplies to Iraq

PARIS (Xinhua) - French President Francois Hollande said Saturday his country will send "in the coming hours" first humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of Iraqi people mainly Christians besieged by Islamist fighters.

Joining US and British efforts to support civilians, "France would make in the coming hours first deliveries of first aid equipment," the president announced, stressing Paris "commitment to stand alongside the civilian victims of the ongoing Islamic state's atrocities."

In a communique issued by his office, Hollande expressed determination to urge the international community and mainly the European partners "to take urgent steps to meet immediate humanitarian needs."

During a phone conversation with Massoud Barzani, head of Kurdistan region, the French head of state said a political solution was necessary "more than ever" to end the deadlock in the OPEC member state, pointing to the necessity that "everything must be done to ensure the creation of national government in the shortest possible time that is committed to meet the aspirations of all the Iraqi people."

In a separate phone talks with his US counterpart Barack Obama, Hollande discussed "terms of their cooperation to help forces fighting the Islamic State and provide emergency help to endangered populations."

Tens of thousands of refugees fled into the mountains, perhaps hoping to reach the Kurdish region in north Iraq, but were trapped because of militant activity between the mountain and the Kurdish area, and were running short on food and water.