Thousands of Iraqis Flee to Avoid Spread Of Violence

Thousands of Iraqis Flee to Avoid Spread Of Violence

Fear, Threats Lead Muslim Sects Apart

By Ellen Knickmeyer
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, March 29, 2006; Page A01

BAGHDAD, March 28 -- Sectarian violence has displaced more than 25,000 Iraqis since the Feb. 22 bombing of a Shiite Muslim shrine, a U.N.-affiliated agency said Tuesday, and shelters and tent cities are springing up across central and southern Iraq to house homeless Sunni and Shiite families.

The flight is continuing, according to the International Organization for Migration, which works closely with the United Nations and other groups. The result has been a population exchange as Sunni and Shiite families flee mixed communities for the safety of areas where their own sects predominate.

"I definitely wouldn't say the displacement has peaked," said Dana Graber, an official of the migration agency in Amman, Jordan. "It's continuous."

The agency's figures were compiled from information provided by partner organizations working with displaced Iraqis. The government Ministry of Displacement and Migration puts the count higher, at more than 32,000.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032801963.html?nav=rss_world/mideast