UN official lauds US decision to shelter 7,000 of the most vulnerable Iraqi refugees

After a meeting with the United States Secretary of State, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has strongly welcomed twin decisions by Washington regarding the desperate plight of Iraqis: to take in up to 7,000 refugees deemed most vulnerable and to contribute $18 million for continued humanitarian support.

High Commissioner António Guterres, however, cautioned that while sheltering refugees can help the most defenceless, it alone is not a panacea. “Resettlement is the difference between life and death, but it is not a solution for all problems and it is not an excuse not to address refugee problems in their global dimensions,” he told reporters in Washington, D.C. yesterday after his meeting with Condoleezza Rice and other US officials.

He emphasized that resettlement is a last resort, to be utilized for those with particular needs who can only find safety in a third country, such as at-risk women, children, the elderly and those with health concerns.

The $18 million contribution made by the US, where more than half of all refugees resettle annually, will be put towards last month’s $60 million UNHCR appeal to allow the agency to continue providing humanitarian assistance in Iraq, where one in six have been forced to flee their homes, and surrounding areas.

“Our commitment to working together to find durable solutions for Iraqi refugees includes providing humanitarian assistance, augmenting the capacity of UNHCR to identify and refer refugees in need of resettlement and committing additional resources to assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq,” said Paula Dobriansky, the US Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs.

Ms. Dobriansky also said that her country will work closely with UNHCR and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to assist those forced to flee their homes through voluntary repatriation when possible and will also persuade Iraq’s neighbouring countries to uphold the principle of first asylum, or the first nation to which people escape.

UNHCR estimates that up to 50,000 people are forcibly moved from their homes within Iraq monthly. It is believed that there are 1.8 million IDPs out of a total population of 26 million, with this number potentially swelling to 2.3 to 2.7 million by the end of the year. An additional 2 million refugees reside outside the country’s borders, mainly in Iraq’s neighbours such Syria and Jordan, putting a great strain on the economic, social, education and health infrastructures and resources of these countries.

High Commissioner Guterres also informed US officials of a UNHCR-sponsored donors’ conference to be held in April in Geneva to address humanitarian issues posed by the mass displacement of Iraqis.

The US pledged its support for the conference and also to supporting the Iraqi Government in efforts to stabilize the environment to allow refugees to return while reaching out to those in immediate need of assistance.