Iraqi Refugees Face Severe Poverty, Declining Health, and Lack of Schooling

from Reuters Alert Net

Source: International Medical Corps (IMC) - USA
Website: http://www.imcworldwide.org

Iraqi Refugees Face Severe Poverty, Declining Health, and Lack of Schooling

Beirut, Amman, Damascus, - Four years after the beginning of the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq, sectarian violence and ongoing insecurity have produced one of the largest refugee movements in the world since 1948. As of today, more than two million Iraqis have fled their country and have settled mainly in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. An International Medical Corps assessment in all three countries found that the majority are living with limited access to healthcare and education. Having left their homes and jobs behind, many Iraqis have lost a stable income and live in squalid conditions, depending on loans and gifts.

"Our findings clearly show that most Iraqis in exile are extremely vulnerable. Women and children especially show signs of declining health and social isolation. They have fled insecurity and now face severe poverty and deprivation," says Agron Ferati, the IMC Middle East representative.

According to the UN and local aid agencies, between 40,000 and 100,000 Iraqis have settled in Lebanon; up to 1.5 million are in Syria; and 750,000 live in Jordan, a country with a total population of only five million. Though most Iraqis try to blend into their host communities, their presence has added pressure to weak job markets and stretched public services thin. In February/March 2007 an IMC household assessment found that in all countries Iraqi refugees have no legal protection and face major problems in four areas: healthcare, education, housing, and employment.

Only Syria allows Iraqi children to attend free government schools. In Lebanon, tuition at both private and public schools excludes many children, and in Jordan refugee children are barred from the public system altogether. Discrimination and fear of local authorities prompt many parents limit their movements and leave their children at home. The influx of refugees has led to an extreme shortage in affordable housing and has increased pressure on the labor market.

IMC is planning a regional response to improve the lives of Iraqi refugees and their host communities. "Iraqi refugees and the Lebanese need our assistance. There are areas of severe poverty in Lebanon, as well as malnutrition and literacy. We must make sure that the needs of refugees will be addressed while we help to lift the living standards of poor Lebanese communities at the same time," says Robert Dira, IMC country director for Lebanon.

As one of the few fully operational and independent aid agencies in Iraq, International Medical Corps has a deep understanding of the problems Iraqis have to deal with in their country and in exile. IMC is well positioned to address the severe shortcomings in healthcare, education, and livelihood in cooperation with local authorities and NGOs. Establishing clinics and improving existing primary health care facilities through technical assistance and trained personnel will help to improve the health of many refugees. In Syria and Jordan, IMC plans to increase educational and social opportunities for children and women who suffer most from isolation. In all three countries IMC expects to distribute non-food items, such as mattresses, blankets, children's clothing, and diapers, to immediately improve the living conditions of refugees. More than 170,000 people will directly benefit from IMC's response to the refugee crisis.