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May 2005 – The Iraqi Government has agreed to move
3,100 Iranian Kurd refugees, who have been stuck in
harsh and dangerous conditions near Ramadi, to a
safer area in the north, the United Nations refugee
agency said today.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR)
was informed that the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office
approved the proposed plan to relocate Al Tash
camp's remaining population – virtually cut off from
aid since the start of the war in 2003 -- to a much
safer location near Suleimaniyah, in northern Iraq.
“Another 3,200 former Al Tash residents have already
moved up to the Suleimaniyah region on their own
initiative, and have been helped by the local
authorities, UNHCR and other agencies to settle in
to their new home area,” said UNHCR spokesperson
Jennifer Pagonis in Geneva today.
The local authorities in Suleimaniyah have also
approved the relocation of the remaining Al Tash
population, and a recent UNHCR survey revealed that
most of the camp's population will be “more than
happy” to make the move.
Separately, the UNHCR announced another
“breakthrough” involving refugees living in Iraq at
the time of the war, as some 743 refugees, mainly
Iranian Kurds who have been living in a "no man's
land" camp between Jordan and Iraq for up to two
years, moved on Sunday to Ruweished camp, some 60 km
inside Jordan.
“Although conditions in Ruweished are far from
perfect, it is nevertheless distinctly preferable to
the No Man's Land camp, which was extremely
difficult to access, potentially at considerable
physical risk, and was under no state's
jurisdiction,” said Ms. Pagonis.
UNHCR says it will now redouble its efforts to
persuade states – either within the region or
elsewhere – to provide solutions for the people
relocated from No Man's Land and for the 127 people
– mostly Palestinians – who were already housed in
Ruweished.
www.un.org
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