Tuesday, March 06, 2007
U.N. office for refugees to open in Jordan
Humanitarian
(AP) The United Nations plans to open an office in Jordan to deal with the increasingly serious humanitarian problems posed by 1.8 million Iraqis who have fled to neighboring countries and a similar number who have fled their homes and are still inside Iraq, the new U.N. humanitarian chief said Monday.
John Holmes told a news conference that governments, voluntary organizations and other U.N. agencies want to address the worsening humanitarian situation "in a more consistent way than we have been" in the past. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will be setting up a small office in the Jordanian capital, Amman, with about 10 staff members, he said.
John Holmes told a news conference that governments, voluntary organizations and other U.N. agencies want to address the worsening humanitarian situation "in a more consistent way than we have been" in the past. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will be setting up a small office in the Jordanian capital, Amman, with about 10 staff members, he said.
There are currently 1.8 million Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, primarily Syria and Jordan, "who are posing considerable problems and facing considerable difficulties," he said. The U.N. believes there are a similar number of internally displaced Iraqis as a result of sectarian violence and rising tensions, and "they face very serious problems as well."
Labels: Jordan, refugees, U.N., U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
