March 17, 2008 For Immediate Release Contact: Vanessa Parra 202-828-0110 x225

5th Anniversary of Iraq War Marks Continuing

Struggles for Iraqi Refugees

Washington, D.C. - In a field report released today, Refugees International expressed concern that assistance for Iraqi refugees in Syria is not reaching vulnerable populations and urged the UN to work more closely with the government of Syria to identify Iraqis and assess their needs. Over a third of registered Iraqis have not shown up to receive food distributed by the World Food Program (WFP) or cash distributed by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). In addition, a consortium of 24 US and UK non-governmental organizations sent a letter to President Bush, British Prime Minister Brown and Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki urging increased assistance to displaced Iraqis.

"The UN Refugee Agency is managing a unique, urban refugee crisis. Iraqis in Syria and elsewhere are not in camps, but spread out in cities where it is often difficult to locate them," said Kristele Younes, who finished assessing the situation for Iraqi refugees in Damascus this month. "Last fall, I witnessed Iraqis at food centers begging to be included in the distribution process and now thousands of Iraqis are not showing up to receive assistance. UNHCR needs to work with the government of Syria to address this situation."

In its field report, Refugees International recommended that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) revise its vulnerability criteria and make special efforts to locate vulnerable refugees based on these criteria, as the situation in Iraq is still too dangerous for people to return. The United States must increase its engagement with Syria over the Iraqi refugee crisis to improve access for UN agencies and international humanitarian organizations to those in need. And both UNHCR and World Food Program need funding to continue their programs.

"There are many uncertainties, but the large number of Iraqis and the extent of their growing needs is not one of them. UNHCR needs increased financial and diplomatic support to continue its activities, monitor their impact and revise their vulnerability criteria," added Younes. "If the U.S. and its allies want to see a stable Iraq, these governments should increase aid, both bilaterally and through international agencies, for Iraqi refugees until it is safe enough for them to return home."

In the letter to the heads of the American, British and Iraqi governments released today, Refugees International and a coalition of both U.S. and British NGOs expressed their dismay that, "so little has been done...to address the desperate flight of Iraqis who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the on-going conflict." The groups involved are calling for immediate and direct assistance to displaced Iraqis and for widening the scope of resettlement in both the U.S. and the U.K. The letter also argued that Iraqis should be able to remain in their countries of refuge without being deported back to Iraq.

Refugees International is a Washington, DC-based organization that advocates to end refugee crises. Kristele Younes assessed the needs of Iraqi refugees in Jordan, Syria and Yemen in February -- her fifth mission to the region since November 2006. For more information, go to http://www.refugeesinternational.org/iraq.

###