WORLD BRIDGE BLOG

As votes from the parliamentary election were still being tallied in Baghdad, Refugees International held an event in Washington to discuss the ongoing humanitarian needs for the estimated 1.5 million Iraqis who are displaced within their country and the hundreds of thousands more who are living outside of Iraq. More than 100 people from Washington’s policy community attended the event on Capitol Hill to hear the remarks of Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, Senators Carl Levin and Patrick Leahy, as well as Refugees International’s own Joel Charny and Elizabeth Campbell.

Her Majesty Queen Noor, who is also a member of RI’s board of directors, opened the discussion. Jordan is home to millions of refugees, including many Iraqis who are unable to access their original homes or properties in Iraq. Queen Noor articulated the intricate relationship between displacement and security, arguing that providing humanitarian assistance to refugees is essential to making the world more safe and secure: “An investment in refugees is an investment in entire communities and it is a clear way to support peace and prosperity.”

In his remarks, António Guterres expressed gratitude for the research and advocacy conducted by Refugees International, even when our findings include criticisms of his own agency. He reiterated that the need for ongoing humanitarian support in Iraq is bigger than ever and expressed concern that a focus on development could be a “disaster” at this sensitive period in the country’s history. “You can have a successful development strategy while maintaining critical humanitarian assistance,” he urged the room. Yet, as Refugees International has also pointed out, the Government of Iraq must be committed to meeting the needs of displaced Iraqis with the support of the international community.

Senators Levin and Leahy followed the High Commissioner in urging support for displaced Iraqis. Senator Levin reminded us that it is time to push past politics when working on behalf of refugees around the world and emphasized “our responsibility to our fellow human beings.” Senator Leahy, who introduced the Refugee Protection Act of 2010 on Monday, promised not to abandon the Iraqi people as they survive in a still dangerous and unstable country. “The U.S. has a commitment to Iraqi refugees who fled their homes in the chaos of the U.S. invasion… This Senator is not going to forget them.”

Refugees International senior advocate Elizabeth Campbell had just returned from Iraq and spoke directly to the ongoing instability. “Although it is true that compared to 2006 and 2007 the security situation has improved, people’s living conditions have not.” She described meeting a family in one squatter settlement in Baghdad who had previously been living as refugees in Syria. They came back to Iraq because they were unable to afford the rent, but still have not returned to their homes. Instead, they have joined the ranks of some 500,000 squatters who live in homes made from cinder blocks and plastic tarps, with trash scattered in the street and in living quarters.

In the audience was Iraq’s Ambassador to the U.S., Samir Shakir M. Sumaida’ie, who responded to the event with a potent visual metaphor: “A country that floats on a lake of oil shouldn’t have its people living in these conditions.” He acknowledged the shortcoming of his own government, but said that he was also inspired by the discussions he had just heard. “I encourage, appreciate and salute all those who work tirelessly to relieve the suffering of my people.”