The Iraqi Red Crescent Organization has boosted its count of Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries. Iraq Slogger has the report.
The new numbers are:
| Syria | 1.5 to 2 million |
| Jordan | 700,000-750,000 |
| Iran | 100,000 |
| Egypt | 150,000 |
| Lebanon | 40,000 |
Refugees International has released their annual report which explains how their advocacy has raised awareness of the growing plight of refugees from Iraq:
Refugees international 's ability to promote effective action to the world 's refugee crises is best illustrated by our advocacy for Iraqi refugees in the Middle East. On our mission to Lebanon,Syria and Jordan,we discovered that the exodus of Iraqis to neighboring countries is now the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world. RI promptly exposed the world to this crisis,which had largely been ignored before we released our findings. An op-ed in The Washington Post combined with an appearance on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and coverage by the BBC,The New York Times,Financial Times and other outlets around the world led the UN, the U.S.and other governments to respond to this crisis.The extensive media coverage alerted policy makers that two million Iraqis had fled into neighboring countries to escape the violence gripping their country and were in desperate need of assistance for housing, health care and education.Syria and Jordan were being overwhelmed by the massive influx and needed support from the international community to address the problem.
While the awareness level has been raised there are still far too many people in the US who have simply no idea that millions of Iraqis have been displaced internally and externally by the war in Iraq. We need to keep spreading the word and call upon our political leadership to provide assistance to these Iraqis and to the governments that are straining to accommodate them, in particular Syria and Jordan.
Donate at the Refugees International web site if you want to help.
Comments (1)
Considering Syria has only a population of about 19.5 million, 10% of her populuation are refugees from Iraq. (and these are among the lucky ones who got away). All this to get one man Saddam Hussein. I wonder what these refugee camps will end up producing? If Dubya is looking for his legacy of his presidency, he doesn't have to look much further than this.
1. Posted by Steve Crickmore | July 5, 2007 9:54 AM
Posted on July 5, 2007 09:54