Aid Workers May Move to Zaytun Compound

The Northern Iraq regional office of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will be relocated to the compound of Korea’s Zaytun Division, military officials said Thursday.

USAID is the U.S. government agency responsible for providing economic and humanitarian assistance.

Military officials said Thursday that the U.S. government officially asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to permit the relocation of the USAID office to the compound of Zaytun division, where security is relatively assured.

The ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff is reportedly considering the U.S.’s request positively, based on the judgment that the relocation of the USAID office won’t cause any disruptions to its military operations. The USAID office is expected to be relocated as early as beginning of the next month.

The 18 container buildings that house the USAID offices in a neighborhood village some distance away from the Zaytun Division are home to about 30 agency employees. If the relocation plan is confirmed, all the buildings currently in use will be moved.

But some are worried that the relocation of the USAID office to the Zaytun compound will heighten the terror threats to the Korean military.

The USAID office has not been attacked so far.

Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com