Iraq refugee crisis threatening to spiral out of control, rights group says

[BurtWorm]

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


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".

Refugees International said the acceleration in the numbers fleeing Iraq meant it could soon overtake the refugee crisis in Darfur.

"We're not saying it's the largest <refugee crisis>, but it's quickly becoming the largest," spokeswoman Kristele Younes said. "The numbers are very, very scary."