GENEVA, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Syria has allowed four seriously ill young Palestinians stranded in a desolate camp in the Iraqi desert to enter the country for urgent medical treatment, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday.

The patients, aged 2 to 21, were among 1,550 Palestinians trapped in al Waleed and al Tanf refugee camps on the Iraqi side of the border for months, it said. Syria stopped taking in Palestinian refugees after allowing in 250 a year ago.

"The four are now in very critical condition and we greatly appreciate this decision by Syrian authorities," Ron Redmond, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news briefing.

The four suffered from severe diabetes, paralysis, Hodgkin's disease and heart problems, he said. Two will be allowed to remain in Syria with relatives while being treated, while the others will go to third countries for more specialised care.

At least 16 other Palestinians stranded in the camps with critical medical conditions may die or be handicapped for life if they don't get proper care soon, Redmond said.

The UNHCR continued to look urgently for solutions for those 16, who include infants and children, he said.

Iraq had 30,000 registered Palestinian refugees before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The community became the target of attacks partly because of the Baghdad government's support for the Palestinians under Saddam Hussein's rule.

Some estimated 15,000 Palestinians remain in Baghdad where they are vulnerable to murder, kidnapping and threats, according to the UNHCR.

Daily life in the camps near the Iraqi border has become "nearby unbearable" in recent weeks, with temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), Redmond said.

"They have no possibility to leave Iraq as they are not accepted anywhere," he told reporters. "So far the response of the world has been minimal and we remain extremely concerned about their fate."

AlertNet news is provided by