Saturday, November 04, 2006
Iraqis forced to flee homes
Humanitarian
About 50,000 Iraqis are leaving their homes each month and hundreds of thousands more may soon follow, fearing prolonged instability in the country, according to a report by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Many of those displaced are being helped by host families, local communities and religious groups, not necessarily major international aid organisations. "The enormous scale of the needs, the ongoing violence and the difficulties in reaching the displaced make it a problem that is practically beyond the capacity of humanitarian agencies," Ron Redmond, a spokesman for UNHCR said.
At least 1.6 million are what the UN calls internally displaced within Iraq and 1.8 million have fled to neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iran, according to the UNHCR. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) appealed on Friday for $20 million to allow it to keep distributing food, water and other supplies to those uprooted by the conflict, and to the families and communities who are hosting them. The UNHCR has received only 60 per cent of the $29 million it requested to help displaced Iraqis and some 50,000 Palestinian, Iranian and Syrian refugees living in Iraq. The agency is reassessing its financing needs for Iraq and met donor governments this week to discuss an increase in aid. No pledges have yet been announced.
At least 1.6 million are what the UN calls internally displaced within Iraq and 1.8 million have fled to neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iran, according to the UNHCR. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) appealed on Friday for $20 million to allow it to keep distributing food, water and other supplies to those uprooted by the conflict, and to the families and communities who are hosting them. The UNHCR has received only 60 per cent of the $29 million it requested to help displaced Iraqis and some 50,000 Palestinian, Iranian and Syrian refugees living in Iraq. The agency is reassessing its financing needs for Iraq and met donor governments this week to discuss an increase in aid. No pledges have yet been announced.
COMMENT: If the violence continues the figure of internally displaced people (IDPs) will increase. Those who can't afford to get out of Iraq will flee to quieter places such as Iraqi Kurdistan, placing an enormous burden on the area's resources and possibly triggering additional violence. Iraq's economy will also suffer further because it will be unable to support the financial needs of the IDPs. Even if the international community pledges aid, the logistics will be practically impossible due to the violence. COMMENT ENDS.
