On the Sixth Anniversary of the War in Iraq, Time to Focus on Refugees

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New York, NY – To mark the sixth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq, Human Rights First has issued the following statement, which can be attributed to Amelia Templeton, refugee policy analyst in Human Rights First’s Refugee Protection Program.

“Violence and conflict over the past five years have forced millions of Iraqis from their homes and many into asylum in neighboring countries. In the past year, though security improved significantly in Iraq, the political stability and lasting peace that will make it possible for most refugees to return home in safety has not yet taken hold. At Camp Lejeune last month, President Obama recognized refugee and internally displaced families as ‘living consequence[s] of this war’ and declared that ‘America has a strategic interest – and a moral responsibility – to act.’

President Obama’s promise to make the safety and well-being of Iraqi refugee families a policy priority is commendable. It represents a dramatic and welcome break from President Bush’s refusal to acknowledge the refugee crisis. Now, six years after the war began and three years after the bombing in Samarra, President Obama has committed to helping the displaced, and has recognized that this will help stabilize Iraq and the region.

We commend the State Department’s announcement earlier this afternoon that it has contributed an additional $141 million to help displaced Iraqis, which brings total contributions for FY 2009 to more than $150 million.
  
President Obama’s preliminary 2010 budget includes allotments to strengthen assistance for Iraqis who have been displaced by the war, unlike last year’s White House budget request, which included no funding for Iraqi refugees. Fortunately, members of Congress from both parties declared the issue a priority and provided generous funding for humanitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees and internally displaced families in the Middle East. We hope both parties will come together again this year to support Iraqi refugees.

Funding for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, which supports resettled refugees for their first eight months in the United States, is also critically needed. Newly arriving refugees, like families across America, are struggling to stay in their homes and apartments and facing layoffs and a dismal job market. Congress and the executive branch should work together to find solutions and increase funding for the Office of Refugee Resettlement.”

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