02/14/2007

The State Department’s announcement that it is augmenting programs to assist Iraqi refugees is a welcome first step, but the U.S. must do more.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of State announced that it is contributing $18 million toward the $60 million that the UN High Commission of Refugees seeks this year for protection of two million Iraqi refugees. In addition, the U.S. announced that it would consider for resettlement into the U.S. up to 7,000 Iraqi refugees referred to it by UNHCR. It also issued a request for proposals to provide humanitarian services to Iraqi refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, countries hosting large numbers of Iraqis.  Officials also announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development is providing funds to assist some of the 1.7 million internally displaced Iraqis.

“We are glad that the U.S. is moving to help displaced Iraqis, but the problem is growing rapidly, and even more assistance is needed,” said Kristele Younes, a Refugees International advocate monitoring the Iraqi refugee flow.  

Refugees International believes that UNHCR will need more than $60 million to assist displaced Iraqis this year, and that the U.S. should fund at least 50% of the total.  Traditionally, the U.S. funds 25% of UNHCR’s programs.  U.S. officials made it clear that they would provide at least 25% of what UNHCR is seeking.  In addition, the U.S. has the capacity to resettle many more than 7,000 Iraqis this year.  In particular, Refugees International believes that the U.S. has a moral obligation to resettle Iraqis who were put at risk because of their support for the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

“Bilateral assistance to countries of first asylum is urgently needed as well,” Ms. Younes said.  “As refugee flows continue to grow, Iraq’s neighbors are finding it difficult to keep their borders open to Iraqis fleeing violence. Syria and Jordan, each of which host more than 700,000 Iraqis, need our help in particular. We must assist them now, if we do not want to see hundreds of thousands of Iraqis denied the possibility of safety.”