Earthquake Increases Humanitarian Needs in Iraq

In the wake of last night’s earthquake on the Iran-Iraq border, Refugees International offers its sympathy to those affected by this disaster.  The number of casualties has risen slowly but steadily over the course of the day, and unfortunately is expected to increase further.  International and local rescue teams have been deployed in each country, and their operations are ongoing.

Exact statistics are not yet available, but reportedly tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Iran. One of the outcomes is likely to be displacement in Iraq as well, as people move to safety from homes and villages damaged by the earthquake.

In Iraq, those driven from their homes will join more than three million people already displaced by the events of the past several years in that country.  Aid agencies are at work on the ground to assist the vulnerable, but the need for donors, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations to support these groups is more urgent than ever.