L.
Craig Johnstone
Deputy
High Commissioner
United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
“Iraqi
Refugees: Can the
Written
Statement before the:
House
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations,
Human Rights, and Oversight and the Subcommittee on Middle East and
“Iraqi Refugees: Can the
Statement by the Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees
Introduction
Mr. Chairman and members of
Congress and staff, on behalf of the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), I would like to express our appreciation for
the opportunity to appear before you today to address UNHCR’s grave concerns
about the continuing plight of Iraqi refugees and the burdens being borne by
their respective host communities. I
would also like to request that my full written statement be submitted for the
record.
Background
UNHCR is charged by the
international community with ensuring refugee protection and identifying
durable solutions to refugee situations.
Our mandate is grounded in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of
Refugees and its 1967 Protocol (hereinafter “ the Refugee Convention”), which
define a refugee as a person having a well-founded fear of persecution for
reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a
particular social group.
UNHCR has had a presence in
UNHCR estimates that the number
of displaced Iraqis is well over 4 million, including some 2.2 million internally displaced inside of
The Protection Environment in
Neighboring Host Countries
The protection situation in
countries in the region that are hosting significant numbers of Iraqis varies.
Since
Window of
The timing of this inquiry is particularly poignant as, while it
is almost five years since the invasion, it is also a time where a window of
opportunity exists to more effectively address the massive and growing
humanitarian needs in the region. This window must be fully exploited as the
personal, social, political, and security consequences of ignoring it will be
deep and broad.
While UNHCR has been a vocal advocate on behalf of victims of the
violence in
While dealing with the suffering of refugees on a daily basis
could lead one to cynicism and despair, it also makes one more determined to
search for, identify and pursue opportunities for solutions, regardless of how
remote they may be. It is the opinion of my High Commissioner that we are at a
critical point in relation to the future of
What are the context and the elements which make up this window of
opportunity (and their respective constraints)?
Inside
Can it really be in Iraq’s short, medium and long-term interests
for it and the international community to continue to neglect the needs of its
displaced to such an extent that, out of desperation, Iraqi refugees are
incrementally forced into greater poverty and hardship or, if they can, to
return, angry, disillusioned, desperate, vulnerable and susceptible to the
influence of extremist elements and non-state actors? Or, rather, is it in
- decrease their
vulnerability by addressing their most pressing protection and assistance
needs (including women, children, the elderly and the sick);
- preserve the
protection space (unfortunately, it is unlikely to be expanded) by
providing sufficient support to host governments whose populations are
increasingly angry about the social, economic, and security costs of
hosting Iraqi refugees;
- discourage the most
desperate to align themselves with non-state actors and extremist groups
in order to obtain assistance;
- “buy time” for the
displaced to decide when it is appropriate to return in safety and dignity
(in other words, allow the opportunity to substantiate gains – expand the
“window of opportunity”);
- demonstrate goodwill
and positive engagement to regional governments;
- protect and enhance
the credibility of the international community and international
humanitarian institutions in the region?
In terms of the
welfare of Iraqi refugees, the latter approach would clearly be preferable.
This window of
opportunity should not be taken for granted as it is difficult to predict what
the security environment will be like following the “surge” and the current
pause in sectarian violence, what will happen if Muqtadr Sadr’s ceasefire
expires or how long the generosity and tolerance of Iraq’s neighbours,
particularly Syria and Jordan,[2] will
last. Now is the time to substantiate recent gains and to integrate addressing
the humanitarian needs of
UNHCR Activities
I can say, quite proudly, that UNHCR has assisted in keeping the
window open by being a vocal advocate on needs of the displaced, the burdens being
carried by host governments and the need for the international community to
react. We have been able to partially “rent” and consolidate the asylum space
in neighbouring states by demonstrating that action speaks louder than words
and by treating this operation as an “exceptional” situation that requires an
“exceptional” response. Some of our achievements have included:
- registering 250,000
Iraqis[3]
(registration assists in identifying the most vulnerable and linking their
needs to appropriate assistance & protection activities);
- referring 21,500 of
the most vulnerable for resettlement[4] (the majority being to
the
- increasing the
provision of food assistance from 50,000 in November 2007, to 150,000 in
February 2008. Subject to funding, we aim to assist over 350,000 by the
end of 2008.[6]
- supporting over
250,000 health interventions (the bulk being in the second half of 2007);
- contributing (with
UNICEF) to doubling the number of Iraqi children enrolled in school;[7]
- securing an agreement
with the Lebanese authorities to release and regularize the status of some
600 detained Iraqis;
- providing hundreds of
thousands of non-food items to displaced Iraqis;
- covening an
international conference in April 2007 to highlight the plight of
- and increasing the
number of staff working on the operation in the region from 50 to 400.
Mr. Chairman, everyday that the protection space is
maintained in the region is a significant humanitarian achievement and we
cannot assume that this space is safe. It is not. My trip to the region and
that of the High Commissioner, underlined the tremendous burdens that both of
their societies were under in coping with the presence of so many Iraqi
refugees. King Hussein of
a) funding of existing appeals and the expansion of assistance and
protection programmes (guarantee of multi-year funding so that agencies can
enter into programmes);
b) accelerated departures of resettlement cases
c) identifying support mechanisms for the Iraqi Government to
allocate additional funds for humanitarian assistance in neighbouring states;
d) and addressing the outstanding security, physical, legal and
material requirements in
Mr. Chairman, the protection environment
in
In the context of this discussion I would like to acknowledge
that, in relation to the Iraqi refugee crisis, the US Government has
consistently been UNHCR’s strongest supporter, both politically and
financially. Working together can we do more? Certainly – and we desperately
need to, as the consequences of failing to maintain the momentum that was
initiated in identifying, assisting and protecting Iraqis will be dire.
All that we ask is that we work jointly to mobilize the
international community to be more responsive, to get the Iraqi Government to
assume its responsibilities, and to rededicate ourselves to the task at hand.
The relatively mild investment, as compared to the cost of the conflict, needed
to address the most urgent humanitarian needs of Iraq’s refugees makes sense
given the massive overall engagement by the US and the negative impact that
neglecting these needs will have, not only on those most in need but on Iraq,
the region and the wider international community.
UNHCR was tasked to substantially build up its operation and
provide effective assistance and protection while also preserving the protection
space in the region. This we have done. UNHCR’s efforts in the region are
totally reliant upon the goodwill and support of asylum states such as
The Potential for Returns
As
previously mentioned, the potential for returns remains one of the most likely
durable solutions for the bulk of
In
view of the importance of the return issue, as well as the need to pursue building the
capacity of relevant Iraqi institutions, UNHCR will position its new Representative
for
Resettlement
There is no country that has
provided greater support to UNHCR’s global resettlement efforts than the
Funding
Needs
UNHCR’s appeal of USD 261
million to support its 2008 activities, both inside
There is no doubt that the
Since 2003, the
2003: $28.1 million
(representing approximately 32 percent of UNHCR’s budget appeal)
2004: $16.2 million
(representing approximately 24 percent of UNHCR’s budget appeal)
2005: $19.9 million
(representing approximately 22 percent of UNHCR’s budget appeal)
2006: $7.9 million (representing
approximately 27.5 percent of UNHCR’s budget appeal)
2007: $36 million (representing
approximately 30 percent of UNHCR’s budget appeal of USD 123,689,141)
2007: $30 million (representing
approximately 30 percent of UNHCR’s component of the education budget of USD
98,975,000)
2008: $95.4 million[8] (representing
approximately 36.5 percent of UNHCR’s total appeal budget of USD 261,558,863)
Conclusion
In closing, Mr. Chairman and
members of the Subcommittee, I would like to thank you for your leadership in
highlighting and addressing the critical protection needs of Iraqi refugees and
others of concern in the region. We look
forward to working with you in the coming days to ensure that enhanced
protection and assistance are delivered, and durable solutions are identified,
through robust support and cooperation from the