MFP
Director Meets with Jordanian Red Crescent in Amman to Discuss Iraqi
Refugee Crisis
7/17-21/2008
MFP Director, Dr. Michael Viola, recently had a series of meetings
with Dr. Mohammed Haddid, President of the Jordanian Red Crescent
(JRC), and his staff to discuss the Iraqi Refugee crisis in Amman.
The discussions focused on future collaborations between Medicine
For Peace and the JRC to respond to the crisis. Medicine For Peace
and the JRC collaborated throughout the 1990’s in Iraq in a number
of projects, including the Iraqi Children’s Project, which transported
ill Iraqi children to the US for life-saving surgery, and distributed
desperately needed pediatric antibiotics to medical clinics in southern
Iraq.
Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the widespread violence and limited
access to adequate shelter, clean water and health care has caused
a massive displacement of Iraqis from their homes. UN Agencies estimate
that there are 2.8 million people internally displaced in Iraq,
and 2 million displaced abroad, primarily in Syria and Jordan. Thus,
one in five Iraqis is displaced, making Iraq the second largest
refugee population, behind only Afghanistan. The 500,000-750,000
displaced Iraqis living in Jordan are urban refugees since there
are no refugee camps in the country. Jordan is resource limited,
and the recent arrivals have put enormous strain on water supplies,
housing, and the education and health care system.
Most of the refugees have come to Jordan since 2005, with a surge
occurring after the bombing of the Samarra shrine in February 2006.
Recent refugees have arrived with limited savings and those funds
are running out. Housing is expensive, and usually consists of a
cramped apartment housing multiple families. Employment opportunities
are limited. As difficult as refugee life is in Jordan, the displaced
Iraqis have no wish to return to the violence of Iraq, and a recent
unprecedented joint memorandum by non-governmental organizations
involved in the refugee crisis warned that, “a rushed and premature
return process would have disastrous consequences for the displaced
and for the stability of Iraq.” The displaced Iraqis are in a dangerous
and uncertain situation: polls have indicated that they are unhappy
staying in Jordan, they can not return to Iraq, and resettlement
opportunities to a third country do not exist to any significant
degree.
At the present time, the Jordanian and Iraqi Governments have sealed
the border and stopped the movement of Iraqi refugees into Jordan.
The Jordanian Government has not given the Iraqis “refugee” status,
and prefer to refer to them as “guests”. They require the majority
of Iraqis in Jordan to renew their 3-6 month residency visas without
work authorization. It is difficult to be critical of Jordan’s response
given the country’s limited resources, particularly the strained
water availability and social services. However, in positive developments
the Jordanian Government has waved all education fees to encourage
Iraqi children to attend the public schools in Jordan. Health care
is available for Iraqis at markedly reduced costs through the Jordanian
Red Crescent and Ministry of Health but many needy refugees do not
avail themselves of these services for fear that they will be forcibly
deported because of lapsed visas.
Neither the United States Government nor the Government of Iraq
will recognize the critical nature of the Iraqi refugee crisis in
Syria and Jordan and both refuse to provide significant financial
support to the host countries to relieve the emergency. While both
the US and Iraqi Governments continue to demonstrate a callous indifference
to the problem, the situation for the Iraqi refugees becomes more
precarious with each passing day.
Return
to News Archive
|
|
