On Iraqi-Jordanian border, hundreds of Iraqis seek refuge from Baghdad violence

JORDANIAN BORDER, Iraq (April 29, 2006) -- Near the Iraqi-Jordanian border, key leaders from the Iraqi Government and the United Nations met to figure out the fate of a growing number of Iraqis of Palestinian heritage who are trying to leave Iraq due to recent violence in Baghdad.
The meeting between the two organizations came after more than 200 Iraqi men, women and children took up residence along the border here weeks ago, after being denied passage into Jordan by Jordanian border officials.
The Iraqis left Baghdad to escape “violence and persecution” by insurgents, who targeted hundreds of Iraqi families there because of their Palestinian heritage, according to one Iraqi man who fled Baghdad several weeks ago and now lives with his wife and three children in this refugee camp.
“The terrorists came in, threatened us, told us to get out or ‘bang-bang-bang,’” said the refugee as he used his hands to gesture shooting a handgun.
My wife and I] left because it is safer for them (here),” he said, pointing to his three children.
Iraqi Government officials and U.N. representatives from Jordan held the meeting to discuss future needs and any concerns about the Iraqi refugees’ current situation, and to assess the refugees’ living conditions.
While the Jordanian Government will not allow the Iraqis to cross the border into Jordan, the refugees refuse to return to Baghdad because of the violence, they said.
Now, they live in tents and are provided food, water, medical supplies and clothing from the Iraqi Red Crescent – an organization similar to the American Red Cross.
Officials from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, based in Amman, Jordan, attended the meeting to assess the situation, but offered no immediate solutions to the problem.
We come here with no solutions. We came here to assess the needs of the group, assess the difficulties faced by [the Iraqi border authorities], help find options for the future and establish good communication between (United Nations) and border authorities,” said Charles Lynch, a U.N. representative who attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Red Crescent, an Iraqi organization similar to the American Red Cross has provided the refugees with food, supplies, tents and some medical care. But that support is due to run out in 45 days, at which time the Iraqi Border Authority will provide an additional 30 days of support to ...