The Iraqi refugee crisis

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IC21Ak01.html


With the violence in Iraq showing no sign of abating, civilians increasingly suffer. The United Nations estimates that 2.6 million Iraqis have fled violence in their country since 2003 and at least 40,000 more Iraqis are leaving their homes every month. Two million have fled to surrounding countries, while some 1.8 million have vacated their homes for safer areas within Iraq.

Middle Eastern countries, Syria and Jordan in particular, haveshown great generosity in welcoming Iraqis in the past three years, but that welcome is wearing thin. Other countries throughout the Middle East, including Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran and Turkey, are also seeing increased flows.

The governments of these host nations are reluctant to acknowledge publicly a growing refugee crisis, and therefore provide Iraqis with no official status and few social services. The international community is similarly in denial over the existence of an Iraqi refugee crisis, and has provided few resources to address the needs of this expanding population. There is an essential need for host nations, supported by donor governments and the UN, to establish programs aimed at responding to the needs of Iraqi refugees.

Why Iraqis are fleeing
"Iraqis who are unable to flee the country are now in a line, waiting their turn to die," is how one Iraqi journalist summarizes conditions in Iraq today. While the United States debates whether a civil war is raging in Iraq, thousands of Iraqis face the possibility of death every day all over the country.

-snip-

US response
While many diplomatic missions in both Syria and Jordan are now concerned by the increasing numbers of Iraqis seeking shelter, they feel that the United States, given its role in Iraq, should lead humanitarian efforts in the surrounding countries. However, Washington has responded minimally to the refugee flow.
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taking care of them is our responsibility. we are the reason they flee Iraq.

Especially my county, which voted 78% straight ticket Republican in 2006. I'm sure there is some comfortably housing for them in The Woodlands. :evilgrin:

Dr. Ali Hamdani (and others), featured on NPR last week: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8286035

This is so tragic, words cannot express the sadness I feel about these people -- what my country has done to their country, to these people.

It has taken over a year for this man to get out of Iraq. At one point, he says, "It's ironic -- I'm going to the US -- the place that ruined my life, my country -- (the US) might be able to give me life again..."