Iraqi refugees release UN-backed album to benefit compatriots

The United Nations has supported a trio of Iraqi refugees in releasing their first album on several leading online music-sharing sites, with the proceeds going to their financially-strapped compatriots in exile.

The three musicians had fled the violence in Iraq to find refuge in Damascus, where they met and became part of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) “Express Yourself” campaign.

The campaign was launched in 2007 to give talented Iraqi refugees in Syria a platform to express themselves artistically.

“Iraqi talent is alive,” said Philippe Leclerc, acting UNHCR Representative in Syria.

“We need to continue to support it and help Iraqi refugees living in exile,” he said. “We hope that this music will allow people all over the world to become closer to Iraqi culture while supporting Iraqi refugees.”

The musicians – Salim Salem, Abdel Mounem Ahmad and Fadi Fares Aziz – have agreed to pass on the 60 cents for every song downloaded from their 15-track album, “Transitions,” to a UNHCR-run financial assistance scheme that provides a lifeline for some 12,000 Iraqi refugee families unable to work legally in Syria, or lacking savings.

“This solidarity will mean a lot, not only to the refugees but also to the humanitarian aid workers who are supporting this operation,” said Sybella Wilkes, a UNHCR official in Damascus.