Warning over spiralling Iraq refugee crisis [View All]

[LiviaOlivia]

Warning over spiralling Iraq refugee crisis
Matt Weaver and agencies
Thursday December 7, 2006
Guardian Unlimited

The surging violence in Iraq has created what is becoming the biggest refugee crisis in the world, a humanitarian group said today.

A report (pdf) by Washington-based Refugees International said an influx of Iraqis threatened to overwhelm other Middle Eastern countries, particularly Syria, Jordon and Lebanon.

Last month, the UN estimated that 100,000 people were fleeing the country each month, with the number of Iraqis now living in other Arab countries standing at 1.8 million.

Today's report came as George Bush and Tony Blair were due to discuss the situation in Iraq, which the bipartisan Iraq Study Group yesterday described as "grave and deteriorating".

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1966333,00.html