The UN held an event yesterday in Abu Dhabi, kicking off an initiative which works toward aiding Iraqi refugees throughout the Middle East by encouraging fundraising and facilitating cooperation between countries. The aid organization stressed that the large number of remaining Iraqi refugees are individuals who are under high risk, noting that “nearly a third of the refugees were considered especially vulnerable.”
The event was an official kick-off of the U.N.’s 2011 Regional Response Plan for Iraqi Refugees, and a report was published late in December which offers this take on the current well-being of Iraqi refugees:
“As the remaining Iraqi refugees population is increasingly a protracted one, needs are growing and vulnerabilities heightened. Savings are now depleted, and regional trends can be observed in the areas of health, nutrition and education. The humanitarian community continues to offer primary and secondary healthcare, but lack of funding has severely impaired its ability to provide tertiary healthcare, when the Iraqi refugee population shows disproportionate numbers of chronic and grave diseases. Despite the assistance provided by humanitarian actors, many refugees compromise both the quantity and quality of their nutrition as a financial coping mechanism, creating more health-related issues. Finally, in some instances, children drop-out of school to support their families, as they are more likely to find work than their parents.”
More than ever, it seems that it will be imperative for governments and NGO’s within the region to cross-coordinate in order to continue their efforts to relieve the suffering of Iraqis who are displaced.
Read the full report here:
Regional Response Plan for Iraqi Refugees – UN/OCHA
U.N. plans to help region deal with Iraqi Refugees – The National