STATEMENT BY THE UNITED STATES DELEGATION AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE HUMANITARIAN NEEDS OF IRAQI REFUGEES AND IDPs

Geneva
April 17, 2007

High Commissioner Guterres, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:  I want to thank the High Commissioner for organizing this meeting.  The displacement of almost four million Iraqis, both within Iraq and in neighboring countries, is a humanitarian concern that requires coordinated action by the international community.  UNHCR is the institution with the expert staff, technical capacity, and global credibility necessary to lead that effort.  I want to commend UNHCR’s courageous work in the field, as well as the dedicated and selfless contributions of the many United Nations agencies; the International Committee of the Red Cross and its national societies, including the Iraq Red Crescent Society; the International Organization of Migration; and numerous non-governmental organizations.  Commissioner Guterres, the United States applauds your leadership of UNHCR’s response.

We would also like to recognize the crucial humanitarian contributions of the countries that have hosted displaced Iraqis.  It is critically important that Iraq’s neighbors keep their borders open and allow Iraqis living within their borders to stay.  Maintaining asylum and assistance for those fleeing violence and sectarian strife has mitigated the humanitarian burden inside Iraq, and greatly aided the provision of assistance, preserving our ability to facilitate repatriation when conditions permit.

As my colleague, Assistant Secretary Ellen Sauerbrey noted when she visited Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in March, the international community understands its responsibility to Iraq’s displaced, and is committed to humanitarian burden-sharing.  We are working intensively to expand our humanitarian assistance to needy Iraqis. 

NGOs play an indispensable role in providing targeted assistance to the most vulnerable.  They provide the manpower, local knowledge, and specialized skills to reach the neediest among the displaced and complement the work of UN agencies. Indeed, UN agencies are among the biggest funders of NGOs.   Yet, to be effective, NGOs require a permissive operating environment.  We call on host country governments to ensure that NGOs have flexibility to operate and provide assistance to populations in need. 

We welcome Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari’s statement this morning and appreciate Iraq’s financial contributions.  We strongly support Iraq’s efforts to assist its citizens, whether inside or outside the country, and will work closely with them in the development and implementation of a strategy to protect displaced Iraqis.  The overwhelming majority of Iraqis who have gone to neighboring countries want to return to their homes in Iraq when it is safe to do so.  We welcome the Iraqi Government plans for their eventual return, and encourage them to assist in whatever way possible until then.  In the case of those displaced outside Iraq, we will work with the Iraqi government and with host governments to help improve conditions for those Iraqis in need, especially regarding the provision of educational opportunities for the thousands of Iraqi children now unable to attend school.

Significantly, within Iraq there are now an estimated 2 million internally displaced Iraqis, an increase of over 730,000 since the bombing of the Golden Mosque of Samarra in February 2006.  Displacement has affected Iraqis of all ethnicities and religious affiliations.  Most are innocent civilians forced from their homes to avoid violence, often perpetrated by extremists who reject the principle of peaceful resolution of political disputes.  The Iraqi Government has taken measures to assist displaced people and encourage return to areas where security has been restored.  We encourage the Government of Iraq to continue these efforts and focus resources on providing security and assistance to internally displaced people.  U.S. contributions to UNHCR, ICRC, IOM, and local and international NGOs will help address medical, shelter, and other immediate needs of displaced people within Iraq.

We do not consider the displacement of Iraqis to neighboring countries to be permanent.  Iraqis displaced abroad say they want to return to a secure Iraq.  As Commissioner Guterres has repeatedly asserted, this is the most durable solution, and is our ultimate collective objective.  It must be the goal of the international community represented here as well.  We are working closely with the Iraqi Government—including Foreign Minister Zebari—to make the situation on the ground more secure.  In 2007, the U.S. Government expects to provide over $100 million in humanitarian assistance for Iraqis, both inside and outside Iraq.

But there are some displaced Iraqis for whom voluntary return may not be a viable option.  These include Iraqis who are extremely vulnerable:  female-headed households, the elderly, the disabled, unaccompanied minors, or ethnic and religious minorities.  They also include some Iraqis who face threats because of their work with the United States or other foreign countries or organizations.   For such individuals, resettlement to third countries is the most appropriate form of protection.  UNHCR has the lead role in identifying and referring such cases to resettlement countries.   Working in tandem with UNHCR and other partner organizations, the United States has already expanded its capacity to resettle Iraqis from the region, and we are prepared to do more.  Our regional processing centers are opening new offices in Amman and Damascus and hiring additional staff elsewhere in the region as needed to prepare for the significant increase in cases.    The American people expect the United States to play a leading role; we hope that other resettlement countries will assist as well.

I would like to highlight the plight of third-country refugees still in Iraq.  There are more than 40,000 third-country refugees in this category, whose protection is the responsibility of the Iraqi government and UNHCR.  Of these, the Palestinians comprise the largest group, with more than 15,000 remaining in Iraq, mostly in Baghdad.  They are extremely vulnerable, suffering assaults, expulsion from homes, and even murder.   My delegation has been exploring with UNHCR and other countries ways to ameliorate this dire situation.  We urge the governments of the region to grant temporary asylum to these Palestinians while UNHCR identifies durable solutions. 

I would like to commend the donor community for responding rapidly to UNHCR’s supplemental appeal with a generous $60 million.  We anticipate UNHCR and other relief organizations will appeal to donors for additional support.   The United States stands ready to continue its strong support, and we ask both traditional donors and new donor countries to be generous in their responses.  Iraqi displacement is a serious problem.  But by acting together, we can help Iraq address the needs of its people, assure protection and assistance for the most vulnerable, and, when conditions permit, help Iraq’s displaced return to their homes and rebuild their lives. 

Thank you.