World must share more of Iraq refugee burden-UNHCR

GENEVA, Feb 3 (Reuters) The world must share more of the burden of Iraqis fleeing violence or persecution in their homeland, amid signs of strain in major host countries Jordan and Syria, the United Nations refugee agency has said.

The two neighbours have taken in more than 1.2 million Iraqis, many in the past few years, and the exodus continues, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.

Up to 50,000 Iraqis flee their homes each month, tens of thousands of whom leave the country, mainly to Jordan and Syria, with the rest struggling to survive within its borders, it says.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres yesterday began a week-long trip to the region to discuss the Iraqis' plight and marshal funds for the agency's 60 million dollars appeal. Stops include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Syria.

''Unremitting violence in Iraq will likely mean continued mass internal and external displacement affecting much of the surrounding region,'' Redmond told a news briefing.

Out of Iraq's population of 26 million, some 1.8 million Iraqis are uprooted within its borders, including an estimated 640,000 in the past year alone, according to new UNHCR figures.

A total of 2 million Iraqis have fled to nearby countries or beyond over the years. Besides Jordan and Syria, the other regional hosts are Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and Iran.

Iraqis in Jordan and Syria face increasing difficulties in enrolling their children in overcrowded schools, getting access to basic services including health care, and extending their visas, according to UNHCR spokeswoman Astrid Van Genderen.

''First and foremost there should be enough funding to support the governments of countries who are receiving (Iraqis) to deal with the increased burden and pressures,'' she said.

''Jordan and Syria have kept their doors open for a long time now, actually years now. They have not stopped, but there are increased problems. It is simmering,'' she said.

Worldwide, the UNHCR's policy is to try to settle refugees in their country of asylum or at least in the region, but it also promotes ''third-country resettlement'' in special cases.

In the past few years, the number of Iraqis accepted for resettlement in third countries, including the United States, ''has only been in the hundreds'', Redmond said.

''We project that possibly 20,000 resettlement places could be needed by the end of 2007 for Iraqis, the most vulnerable cases,'' he said. ''Resettlement to third countries could help ease the burden on countries with 700,000 Iraqis like Jordan.'' The Geneva-based UNHCR will host an international conference on Iraqi displacement and humanitarian needs in mid-April.

REUTERS MQA RK0952