FACTBOX-Iraqi exodus worsens Mideast refugee problem
Source: Reuters
April 15 (Reuters) - The United Nations says the flight of Iraqis abroad or within their country constitutes the Middle East's largest long-term population movement since the displacement of Palestinians when Israel was created in 1948. Syria and Jordan are the main host countries for Iraqis and, along with Lebanon, for Palestinian refugees. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will hold a conference in Geneva from April 17-18 to seek more aid from international donors to help the refugees. Here are some facts about Iraq's refugee crisis: IRAQ Out of Iraq's population of 26 million, 1.9 million are internally displaced and well over 2 million have fled abroad, the UNHCR estimates. The UNHCR tries to resettle registered Iraqi refugees, but found host countries for only 404 worldwide in the first nine months of 2006. Around 300,000 Iraqis had returned from exile after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the UNHCR says, but that trend reversed quickly. The UNHCR says since the beginning of last year nearly 730,000 Iraqis have become newly displaced by sectarian violence and more are fleeing their homes daily. SYRIA - An estimated 1.2 million Iraqis have taken refuge in Syria, which also hosts 432,000 Palestinian refugees, 27 percent of whom live in camps. Syria has a population of 18 million, not counting the refugees. JORDAN - Up to 800,000 Iraqis now live in Jordan, which also hosts 1.85 million Palestinians registered as refugees with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Those Palestinians fled in 1948 or after the 1967 Middle East War. About 18 percent of the Palestinians live in refugee camps. Not counting the Iraqis, Jordan has 5.6 million people, more than half of them of Palestinian origin. LEBANON - Between 40,000-50,000 Iraqis have come to Lebanon, which also hosts 404,000 Palestinian refugees, 53 percent of whom live in camps. Lebanon has about 4 million people, but nearly 25 percent of them live abroad, according to the private Lebanese Emigration Research Centre. EGYPT - More than 100,000 Iraqis have fled to Egypt. Iran, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are among other countries hosting Iraqi refugees. IRAN - About 54,000 Iraqis have fled to Iran. Sources: UNHCR, UNRWA and International Organisation for Migration.
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