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The Iraqi Refugee Crisis

More than 4 million Iraqis have been displaced by war and occupation.  It is the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis, and represents the largest refugee flow in the Middle East since the displacement of Palestinians in1948.

"The displacement of Iraqis from Iraq is now the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world." - Refugees International, 12/2006

With the vast majority of Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Syria, and sizeable populations in Lebanon, Iran, Turkey and Egypt, the crisis has become regional. Experience has shown that the refugee crisis will have long-term implications for the region.  The influx of refugees increases the need for housing, health care and education, and strains the availability of basic infrastructure like water and electricity. Refugees put a strain on the financial resources of the largest host governments (Syria and Jordan), which impacts the political dynamics.

Watch AFSC videos on Iraq's refugee crisis:

• The refugee crisis in Iraq (1:14)
• Blurring the lines between military action and humanitarian efforts (2:00)
• A message from an Iraqi child (2:25)
• Palestinians living in Iraq (2:51)
• The humanitarian emergency (2:06)
• From protest to direct aid (2:47)
• The U.S. role in violence in Iraq (3:04)
• Impact of Iraqi refugees in the region (1:14)
• The roots of violence in Iraq (1:19)

UPCOMING EVENT :
Nightmare Beyond Borders Tour (Sept. 23-Oct. 1)

Iraq is by any measure a humanitarian catastrophe.  The complex crises facing Iraq and the region are no longer limited by Iraq's borders, and continuing violence and instability daily seem to destroy the hopes for peace and security for the people of the region.

The country is crippled by foreign military occupation, sectarian violence, death squads, kidnappings and criminal gangs. Basic human security is almost completely lacking. Ongoing regional instability and the lack of diplomatic engagement encourage neighboring governments to enter the fray, both directly and by proxy, threatening regional war. The politicization and abuse of religious and ethnic identity results in segregation and oppression, and encourages the spread of fundamentalism on all sides.

Find out more about the tour >

PAST EVENT :
Symposium on Refugees
Building on a Tradition of Reconciliation (May 2007)

This symposium was held in May 2007 to learn more about the humanitarian and political dimensions of the conflict in Iraq, ways the global community is responding to the refugee crisis in the Middle East, and develop ideas for education and advocacy in our US communities.

Watch the symposium >

Presenters (presenters' bios)

• Kristele Younes, Refugees International
• Noah Merrill, contributor, Electronic Iraq
• Ra'ed Jarrar, Iraq Program, AFSC

Workshop Presenters

• Noah Merrill, contributor, Electronic Iraq
• Leila Barclay, co-founder of al-hakawati Arab Cultural Trust
• Ra'ed Jarrar, Iraq Program, AFSC
• Rick McDowell and Mary Trotochaud, former AFSC Iraq Country Representatives
• Aura Kanegis, Legislative Director AFSC Washington DC

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