BLOG

While America’s attention has shifted to the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, recent news reports about the targeting of Christian Iraqis have turned a few eyes back towards the violence within Iraq. The targeting of Iraqi Christians portends a return to the attacks on minorities and ethnic strife that led to the massive displacement of civilians from Iraq.

When Prime Minister Al-Maliki arrives in Washington this week, it is clear that discussions of Iraq’s political future and the United States military withdrawal are going to dominate the agenda. Yet it is incumbent upon President Obama to add the issue of the ongoing displacement of Iraqi civilians. Pundits from far and wide have weighed in on the impact that the U.S. military withdrawal may have on the security of the country and the humanitarian conditions. Yet, these are all predictions. The fact is that there currently are millions of Iraqi civilians who have been forced from their homes, living as refugees in neighboring countries or otherwise displaced within Iraq.

These civilians are struggling to meet basic life needs. Lacking access to health care, education and opportunities to work, their lives are deteriorating rapidly. A recent Refugees International mission to Syria and northern Iraq has found that women are particularly vulnerable in the displaced populations, facing increased domestic abuse and other hardships. With the U.S. preparing a military withdrawal from the country, it is vital that President Obama send a signal to the Iraqi people, in particular these displaced populations, that the U.S. commitment to Iraqi civilians doesn’t end with a withdrawal, but remains committed to helping Iraqis get their lives back.

President Obama can convey this message by urging Al-Maliki to take a few basic steps. First and foremost, the Iraqi government must continue to improve its own response to the displacement crisis. Reports that the Iraqi government plans to close the IDP file at the end of this year indicate a desire on their part to gloss over this humanitarian emergency. This is unacceptable. The Iraqi government, with U.S. support, must continue to improve its legal framework for supporting returnees and must ensure that all returns are voluntary, and conducted with dignity to areas that are safe and suitable for return.

In urging Al-Maliki to take these steps, President Obama should reiterate America’s commitment to meeting the basic needs of Iraq’s displaced, through financial support for humanitarian agencies and through diplomatic engagement with host countries. The announcement of a potential return of an Ambassador to Syria is a welcome and overdue step that RI has been calling for since 2007. This will ensure that the U.S. can engage with the Syrian government on issues relating to the basic needs of Iraqi refugees. Finally, the President can continue to affirm the U.S.’s commitment to resettle those most vulnerable Iraqi’s who will never be able to return home.

Together, President Obama and Prime Minister Al-Maliki should publically commit to continuing to work together to find a meaningful and comprehensive solution to Iraqi’s displacement crisis. Six years after the start of the war, and in the context of the withdrawal of Iraq, a public US commitment by President Obama to Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people is the responsible message to convey.