B
beachshark1@gmail.com
Guest
Our debate about Iraq is often stuck in black and white: success
versus failure, staying versus going. But as this debate plays out,
the far-reaching consequences of war are already unfolding. One
consequence is Iraq's catastrophic refugee crisis.
One out of every eight Iraqis has been displaced by violence -- some
1.9 million Iraqis inside their country, and more than 2 million as
refugees in neighboring states, primarily Syria and Jordan. An
additional 40,000 to 50,000 Iraqis leave their homes each month. By
the end of 2007, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) projects a total 2.3 million to 2.7 million internally
displaced persons in Iraq. Most are fleeing sectarian violence in
Baghdad and adjoining areas of central and southern Iraq to seek the
relative safety of areas where they are not an endangered minority.
The implications of this unfolding humanitarian crisis are grave.
Professionals and skilled workers are leaving the country. The
standard of living is falling, despite efforts to rebuild
infrastructure and restore basic services. More children are unable to
attend school. Many teachers have left the country. Malnutrition is
increasing. Access to health care is hard to come by.
Refugees are also a major burden on neighboring countries, which
cannot integrate huge numbers of Iraqi refugees. Syria, a country of
18 million, hosts 1.2 million Iraqis. Much smaller Jordan (5.5
million) hosts another 750,000. All of Iraq's neighbors have a strong
interest in the restoration of stability in Iraq so refugees can
return home: the greater the refugee crisis, the greater the chance of
spreading violence and instability.
By their own admission, UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies lack
resources to cope with the problem. Inside Iraq, the immediate
priority is the protection of displaced people and the provision of
food, shelter and access to water and sanitation. The focus is on the
most vulnerable: female-headed households, the elderly, children and
families without resources. Because of the violence, humanitarian
agencies must rely on Iraqi staff and local agencies to implement and
monitor understaffed and under-funded assistance programs.
Outside Iraq, the key challenge is to keep borders open and ensure
that Iraqis are not forced back into danger. Most Iraqi refugees in
Syria and Jordan settled in urban areas and initially relied on
networks of friends and relatives for support. But their resources are
running out, and frictions with host communities are growing. The
priority should be supporting overburdened institutions in host
countries. For example, 30 percent of Iraqi children in Syria are not
attending school, and those in overcrowded schools lack chairs or
textbooks.
Compared to the cost of war, the cost of helping refugees is not
great. The United States is spending about $9 billion a month in Iraq.
UNHCR requested $30 million for Iraq in 2006. The United States
provided $8 million, and UNHCR fell $6 million short of its funding
goal. UNHCR is requesting about $60 million for 2007. The United
States has contributed $18 million and has indicated a willingness to
provide an additional $15 million. This is a contribution that we must
make.
In 2006, Iraqis were the largest single group of asylum seekers in
industrialized countries, submitting 22,000 asylum applications. In
the 11 years between the first Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq,
the United States resettled more than 30,000 Iraqi refugees. Yet since
April 2003, the United States has resettled a total of 692 Iraqi
refugees, even though the most vulnerable Iraqis are often those who
have assisted us -- translators, contractors and embassy workers who
are targeted by insurgents, terrorists and death squads for
"collaborating" with the U.S. government within Iraq.
The United States bears a heavy responsibility for events in Iraq. We
must respond with more urgency, resources and competence to help the
millions of refugees and displaced persons suffering so much. We
should fully fund requests from UNHCR and other agencies. We should
expand resettlement programs for Iraqi refugees, giving priority to
those who have worked closely with the United States. We should press
for greater international contributions to support neighboring states
overburdened with Iraqi refugees. And we should sustain a regional
diplomatic initiative -- with all of Iraq's neighbors -- to confront
this crisis.
We must find a way to end the war in Iraq responsibly. In the
meantime, a failure to address the plight of Iraqi refugees and
displaced persons will lead to greater human suffering, chaos and
instability in Iraq and the region. Surely, the United States can do
more to help Iraqis who have been forced to flee violence.
versus failure, staying versus going. But as this debate plays out,
the far-reaching consequences of war are already unfolding. One
consequence is Iraq's catastrophic refugee crisis.
One out of every eight Iraqis has been displaced by violence -- some
1.9 million Iraqis inside their country, and more than 2 million as
refugees in neighboring states, primarily Syria and Jordan. An
additional 40,000 to 50,000 Iraqis leave their homes each month. By
the end of 2007, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) projects a total 2.3 million to 2.7 million internally
displaced persons in Iraq. Most are fleeing sectarian violence in
Baghdad and adjoining areas of central and southern Iraq to seek the
relative safety of areas where they are not an endangered minority.
The implications of this unfolding humanitarian crisis are grave.
Professionals and skilled workers are leaving the country. The
standard of living is falling, despite efforts to rebuild
infrastructure and restore basic services. More children are unable to
attend school. Many teachers have left the country. Malnutrition is
increasing. Access to health care is hard to come by.
Refugees are also a major burden on neighboring countries, which
cannot integrate huge numbers of Iraqi refugees. Syria, a country of
18 million, hosts 1.2 million Iraqis. Much smaller Jordan (5.5
million) hosts another 750,000. All of Iraq's neighbors have a strong
interest in the restoration of stability in Iraq so refugees can
return home: the greater the refugee crisis, the greater the chance of
spreading violence and instability.
By their own admission, UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies lack
resources to cope with the problem. Inside Iraq, the immediate
priority is the protection of displaced people and the provision of
food, shelter and access to water and sanitation. The focus is on the
most vulnerable: female-headed households, the elderly, children and
families without resources. Because of the violence, humanitarian
agencies must rely on Iraqi staff and local agencies to implement and
monitor understaffed and under-funded assistance programs.
Outside Iraq, the key challenge is to keep borders open and ensure
that Iraqis are not forced back into danger. Most Iraqi refugees in
Syria and Jordan settled in urban areas and initially relied on
networks of friends and relatives for support. But their resources are
running out, and frictions with host communities are growing. The
priority should be supporting overburdened institutions in host
countries. For example, 30 percent of Iraqi children in Syria are not
attending school, and those in overcrowded schools lack chairs or
textbooks.
Compared to the cost of war, the cost of helping refugees is not
great. The United States is spending about $9 billion a month in Iraq.
UNHCR requested $30 million for Iraq in 2006. The United States
provided $8 million, and UNHCR fell $6 million short of its funding
goal. UNHCR is requesting about $60 million for 2007. The United
States has contributed $18 million and has indicated a willingness to
provide an additional $15 million. This is a contribution that we must
make.
In 2006, Iraqis were the largest single group of asylum seekers in
industrialized countries, submitting 22,000 asylum applications. In
the 11 years between the first Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq,
the United States resettled more than 30,000 Iraqi refugees. Yet since
April 2003, the United States has resettled a total of 692 Iraqi
refugees, even though the most vulnerable Iraqis are often those who
have assisted us -- translators, contractors and embassy workers who
are targeted by insurgents, terrorists and death squads for
"collaborating" with the U.S. government within Iraq.
The United States bears a heavy responsibility for events in Iraq. We
must respond with more urgency, resources and competence to help the
millions of refugees and displaced persons suffering so much. We
should fully fund requests from UNHCR and other agencies. We should
expand resettlement programs for Iraqi refugees, giving priority to
those who have worked closely with the United States. We should press
for greater international contributions to support neighboring states
overburdened with Iraqi refugees. And we should sustain a regional
diplomatic initiative -- with all of Iraq's neighbors -- to confront
this crisis.
We must find a way to end the war in Iraq responsibly. In the
meantime, a failure to address the plight of Iraqi refugees and
displaced persons will lead to greater human suffering, chaos and
instability in Iraq and the region. Surely, the United States can do
more to help Iraqis who have been forced to flee violence.
