Refugees International: Publications: Uprooted and Unstable: Meeting Urgent Humanitarian Needs in Iraq

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Uprooted and Unstable: Meeting Urgent Humanitarian Needs in Iraq

04/15/2008

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Uprooted and Unstable:
Meeting Urgent Humanitarian Needs in Iraq

Uprooted and Unstable: Meeting Urgent Humanitarian Needs in Iraq describes a vacuum of humanitarian assistance created by the failure of the Iraqi government and the international community to administer aid to civilians. During a mission inside Iraq, researchers for Refugees International found that Iraqi militias are creating a Hezbollah-like dynamic by becoming major humanitarian providers of food, clothing, oil and other basic resources. As a result, militias are recruiting civilians, including displaced Iraqis, at a rapid pace.

Refugees International cautions that failure to address this problem will have dire consequences for the humanitarian and security situation in Iraq. The report recommends that aid organizations, including the UN, navigate the complex landscape by partnering with local groups inside Iraq, and discourages refugee returns until more effective aid channels are established.

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