Report says Mahdi Army is largest 'unofficial' aid agency in Iraq

A new report by Refugees International says that radical cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army provide large amounts of aid to Iraqis, NBC News reported Wednesday.

“In the patchwork quilt of sectarian neighborhoods that make-up Baghdad, almost all aid is delivered through political and religious groups,” the article says, citing Kristele Younes, the co-author of the report.

These groups are providing everything from food to rent money. “They are really meeting all the needs that the government and the U.N. should be meeting at this stage,” Younes said.

However, this can pose a problem when aid comes from extremist groups peddling their ideology.

Government aid is lacking for a slew of reasons, with corruption a major issue.

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