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There had been no substantial exodus of Iraqi refugees in the region since the outbreak of the United States-led war on March 20, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said Friday.
UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told a news briefing that UNHCR staff monitoring borders around Iraq did not find any substantial movements of Iraqi refugees.
This situation is compared to the massive refugee exodus seen during the 1991 Gulf War. In neighboring countries such as Syria, Jordan, Iran and Turkey, most camps set up for war refugees fleeing Iraq are still empty.
He said the UN refugee agency had humanitarian supplies in place in the region enough to meet the need of 350,000 people. Together with its partners, UNHCR could cover the non-food needs of 600,000 people in neighboring states.
UNHCR current stocks included more than 954,000 blankets, 64,000 family tents, 216,000 mattresses, 151,000 water/fuel cans, lanterns, stoves and hygienic items, Redmond said.
According to the UNHCR official, the Syrian government confirmed this week its open-door policy towards Iraqi refugees, saying they would be provided with the necessary temporary protection, in response to a UNHCR call.
After the war broke out in Iraq, UNHCR called on governments to give Iraqi asylum seekers temporary protection for at least three months.
(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2003)
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