Issues
Iraqi Forced Migration and the UNHCR
On the 17th - 18th of April 2007, an International Conference was held at the UN Palace in Geneva, to answer the humanitarian needs of the refugees and internally displaced people in Iraq and neighbouring countries. Ahmed Al Shikaki interviewed M. Kais J. Alazawi, President of the International Committee of Solidarity with Iraqi Academics, on the situation of these refugees from Iraq.
1. Could you evoke the reasons why the International Community took so long to act against the Crisis, provoked by the Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people, qualified by the UNHCR High Commissioner as a humanitarian catastrophe?
K. J. Alazawi: This question should be asked to the UN who legitimised the Iraqi Occupation in the Security Council’s resolution 1483. It should also be addressed to the Multinational Forces, especially the United States and Great Britain, foremost accountable for the human disaster, the civil war, the destruction of cities and
2. The Participants to the Conference, especially the American delegation, insisted on separating the political dimension from the humanitarian dimension of the Iraqi Refugee Crisis. What do you think of this?
K.J. Alazawi: Evidently, American policy does establish a distinction between the political and the humanitarian dimension, and the Americans ask the UN’s organisations to work with these criteria, in order to avoid being accountable for what will happen. The US does not want to find itself in a critical position with the International Community. Their policy has divided Iraqi society into different ethnic and sectarian groups, which are the main cause of Iraqi forced migration and the internal displacement of a third of the Iraqi population. Four million Iraqis, having waited for the end of Saddam Hussein’s regime to come back and help rebuild their country, have been unable to return. Ever since the Iraqi invasion, two and a half million people have fled the country and emigrated. More then two million internally displaced people have been counted in the different Iraqi cities and districts. These are the results of the American policy that aimed at establishing democracy on an ethnic, religious and sectarian basis; a policy which has ripped apart Iraqi society and divided the country.
The international community has a great responsibility in this Crisis. The roots of this Crisis must be addressed, not just the consequences. These roots are political in nature, not humanitarian, and Iraq has no need for aid: the country has many private fortunes and the government has recognised the existence of a 20 Billion dollar deficit. If Iraqi and US policies are correct and national reconciliation is serious, stability can be obtained. These sums will be used to rebuild the country.
3. What has the International Committee of Solidarity with Iraqi Academics achieved?
K.J. Alazawi: In all honesty, the International Community has not answered the Iraqi Academics call for help, nor the demands of the Committee. The efforts of Mr Hasni Abidi (director of CERMAM in Geneva), his travel to the Unites States to meet a few UN officials, and our meeting with the Secretary General of UNESCO, have helped us convince UNESCO to publish a declaration of solidarity with Iraqi Academics. This declaration has not yet turned into a “road map”, and so far UNESCO has accorded neither help nor facilities to the Iraqi Academics. On the contrary, the 15 Million dollars in aid to Iraqi Academics, granted by the State of Qatar, had been handed over to the Higher Education section of the UNESCO. This sum was spent in conferences, expert’s salaries, and a few unproductive seminars. Only 600’000 dollars remain now. We are currently in negotiations with UNESCO to devote this remaining sum to serious activities that could concretely help Iraqi academics. On the other hand, it should be noted that there were certain positive initiatives, such as the one held by Geneva who wanted to build a residence hall for academics.
To sum this up, till now no International or Humanitarian Organisation have presented us with any concrete help, only theoretical aspects have been evoked. The Qatar Foundation, under the leadership of her Majesty Sheikha Moza, the Emir of Qatar’s wife, has shown its solidarity and generosity by organising seminars to train participants on the different ways of facing danger (kidnapping, murders). Sessions to update and perfect knowledge and skills have also been put in place; for it must not be forgotten that, these academics have suffered thirteen years of embargo and four years of war, which means they have been totally cut of from the advances in scientific research. Furthermore, indemnities have been given to the families of assassinated academics.
We are also discussing with other Arab countries to help Iraqi academics.
4. The participants to the Conference mentioned the return of security and stability as the best solution to the Iraqi Refugee Crisis. But each time the Iraqi Government and Allied Forces apply a plan in that direction, it results in more violence, more refugees, and more internally displaced people. What do you think?
K.J. Alazawi: The problem here is that the Iraqi Government and the American troops consider the security solution as the only option, which complicates matters.
The destruction of cities, districts, villages is generalised; the number of refugees and internally displaced people grows daily. Those who keep themselves up to date are astonished by the number of “terrorists” killed everyday by the Americans in Iraq.
Indeed we have started questioning the number of terrorists in Iraq, which inflates daily. The facts are that terrorism cannot grow in an inappropriate social and political environment; it is the American army’s aggressive policy that nourishes ethnic, religious and sectarian violence. This reduces the chance of finding a solution and activating national reconciliation.
The problem in Iraq is a political one; its solution can only be political to.
5. Do not you fear new waves of refugees, when International Organisations will start giving aid to those who are outside the country?
K.J. Alazawi: You mean, stopping aid to discourage the Iraqis in Iraq from emigrating. Such logic is unacceptable, especially in such a disastrous situation. The Humanitarian Crisis provoked by the by the Iraqi Refugees can wait no longer.
Honestly what has the UNHCR done up till now for Iraqi Refugees? The UNHCR has gathered more money then it solicited, yet the only aid Iraqi Refugees have seen, has been to buy a few tents and blankets, sent to Refugee camps in the desert along the Syrian and Jordanian borders.
Otherwise Iraqi Refugees are still waiting in hosting countries, waiting for International Organisations to be less bureaucratic.
Translated to English by Ines Ward, assistant research trainee at CERMAM
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- Origin CERMAM
- http://www.cermam.org/en/logs/dossier/iraqi_forced_migration_and_the_1/
- Publié le 15 November 2007