HUMAN WRONGS WATCH

Human Wrongs Watch

As heavy fighting continues in Syria, the UN refugee agency reported that the number of those fleeing to neighbouring countries rose to over 100,000 in August–the highest monthly total to date.

A Syrian family gets a lift at a crossing to Lebanon where they will register at UNHCR centres. Photo: UNHCR/S. Malkawi

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 103,416 people sought asylum in countries neighbouring Syria in that month, bringing the total number of Syrian refugees registered or awaiting registration as of 2 September to 235,368 – mainly in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq.

Those figures include Iraqi refugees who had previously fled to Syria and are now returning to their homeland by the thousands, a UNHCR spokesperson, Melissa Fleming, told a news briefing in Geneva on 4 Sept. 2012.

Bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the North, Iraq to the East, Jordan to the South, and Israel to the Southwest, Syrian population is estimated in 22,530,000.

Over 18,000 People Died in 18 Months

According to the Iraqi Government, 35,000 people returned to Iraq in July and August alone.

“Most tell us they are leaving because of general insecurity, although some have reported direct threats,” Fleming said, noting reports that three Iraqi refugees were killed last week in Jaramana, located outside of the capital, Damascus, increasing fear among the refugee population there.

More than 18,000 people, mostly civilians, have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 18 months ago, the UN reported.

There have been reports of an escalation in violence in recent weeks in many towns and villages, as well as the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.

Fleming said UNHCR and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent continue to expand operations to support Syrians displaced both internally and abroad.

Domestically, the UN agency has launched a programme of financial assistance, with 730 vulnerable families receiving cheques as part of a scheme to help some 35,000 families in the coming months.

A Second Refugee Camp in Kurdistan, Iraq

In Iraq, authorities in the Kurdistan region had agreed to the establishment of a second refugee camp that will mainly accommodate Syrian Kurds, arrivals of whom had been increasing significantly in the past week, along with smaller numbers of other Syrians, Fleming said.

For returnees, the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration is expediting the registration process to enable them to receive government assistance for their reintegration.

Some 2,000 families were registered in July and August as part of that effort.UNHCR is also assisting Iraqi returnees with household items and will soon start a small cash assistance programme for the most vulnerable returnee families.

In Jordan, into which refugees continue to flow at a rate of about 1,000 a day, the Government, UNHCR and partners are preparing for an even larger influx, given reports of increasing numbers of displaced people in southern Syria.

Blankets, Jerry Cans, Kitchen Sets…

Fleming said that the first batch of 56 trucks carrying 13,000 tents and relief items, such as blankets, jerry cans and kitchen sets, for a total 150,000 people, arrived in Jordan from Dubai over the weekend to augment local supplies.

In Lebanon, there are now more than 59,000 Syrians registered or awaiting registration with the UN refugee agency, Fleming said, adding that this week the agency is opening a mobile registration centre in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

Host families and schools are increasingly stretched in their capacity to host refugees and UNHCR is appealing to authorities in Lebanon to approve alternative shelter options, she said, while the agency is also working to meeting the educational needs of the refugee children.

80,410 Syrian Refugees Turkey

Turkey, meanwhile, now hosts some 80,410 Syrian refugees, according to the Government. Fleming said that there was still a backlog at the border, with reportedly around 8,000 people waiting to cross and receiving assistance, while being admitted at the rate of hundreds per day.

Fleming added that the Turkish Government continues to transfer Syrian refugees to the new camp in Karkamis, with over 4,000 people already transferred in recent days. Another new camp opened yesterday in Kahramanmaras. The spokesperson noted that the Turkish Government continues to assure UNHCR that it will keep its borders open to Syrian refugees.

Fewer Places for Syrians to Find Refuge

on 3 Sept. 2012 , the  United Nations humanitarian agency said that  the worsening conditions and deepening violence in Syria is making it increasingly difficult for displaced civilians to find refuge, warning that insecurity is hampering efforts to provide the population with access to basic services such as food and water and sanitation.

“Civilians – ordinary men, women and children – are bearing the brunt of the violence,” said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“People have been killed in their homes or on the streets as they seek food and other essentials or try to evacuate the wounded.

Countless homes, clinics, hospitals and other essential infrastructure have been destroyed. Blockades and curfews imposed on cities such as Homs, Hama, Dera’a and Idlib have prevented people from obtaining water, food and medical supplies, the UN reported.

Over 2,5 People, In Need of Urgent Assistance

According to OCHA, over 2.5 million people are in need of urgent assistance and protection. However, reaching those in need has become increasingly difficult with mounting insecurity in many parts of the country.

“UN agencies and humanitarian partners report an increase in the number of military checkpoints, roadblocks and road closures, affecting their ability to reach those in need of assistance,” says the agency’s latest humanitarian bulletin, calling for increased access to affected areas to provide assistance to vulnerable populations.

310,000 Internally Displaced

In spite of these obstacles, some 310,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have received essential items across the country and the World Food Programme (WFP) has dispatched food rations to more than 530,000 people over the last three weeks, with the food agency stating that it will target 1.5 million people this month.

OCHA also warned that pressure is mounting for refugee communities inside Syria, which hosts about half a million Palestinians and one million Iraqis.

The UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), estimates that 225,000 Palestine refugees inSyria are now directly affected by the conflict, and – while many have sought refuge in UNRWA schools – more than 4,000 have fled to Lebanon and Jordan. In addition, some 30,000 Iraqis have returned to Iraq since mid-July.

“Thousands of refugees have contacted refugee outreach volunteers and called UNHCR hotlines for help and advice,” OCHA said, adding that the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had also reported an increase in the number of cases of threats and harassment against refugees.

Posted on 05/09/2012 at 08:13 in Asia, Middle East, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords   |  RSS feed |   Reply   |   Trackback URL