Campaigners warn provision and protection of refugees may be overshadowed by Chilcot Report
SENIOR research fellow Eva Svoboda of The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) has pleaded with the public and politicians not to forget the human consequences of the decision to go to war in Iraq.
The comments came in response to the finding of Sir John Chilcot’s inqury in to the 2003 conflict which showed it was poorly planned and based on flawed intelliegence.
“As the Chilcot Report starts dissecting British involvement in the Iraq war, it is worth stepping back and looking at what this conflict has meant, and still means, for Iraqis today,” she said.
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Since the Iraq War began in 2003 – 2011 up to 4.7 million Iraqis have been forced to flee their homes. Half of these displaced people remain in Iraq, while more than two million have fled to Syria and Jordan.
The ODI, the UK's leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues, warned that in the debate over legality and political capability there is a chance refugees will not received the duty of care required under international law.
According to the UN, 190,000 people have been internally displaced between the Iraqi regions of Anbar and Mosul since the beginning of this year alone as internal conflict in the country continues.
A notable fact in their report is the comparison of this number to the population of Geneva, Switzerland.
“Refugees need and deserve professional advice and advocacy at this point in their lives to help them overcome these hurdles and to help them fulfil their potential in Scotland as New Scots.” Wafa Shaheen, Scottish Refugee Council
Such figures bring the total number of displaced people in Iraq to 3.4 million from January 2014 to March 2015. Svoboda stated: “We know many of them have endured multiple displacements, fleeing their homes some time ago due to fighting just to find themselves again in the midst of violence and forced to seek safety elsewhere.”
As a result of the constant violence, out of a population of 35 million, 10 million Iraqis are reportedly in need of humanitarian assistance.
In 2008 there were 250 refugees from Iraq who had applications accepted in the UK and who now reside in Scotland, according to the Scottish Refugee Council.
In a recent report called Rights, Resilience and Refugee Integration in Scotland produced by Queen Margaret University, the Scottish Refugee Council examined how Scotland can improve integration and support for the community.
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Scottish Refugee Council head of refugee services Wafa Shaheen said: “Refugees need and deserve professional advice and advocacy at this point in their lives to help them overcome these hurdles and to help them fulfil their potential in Scotland as New Scots.”
“The report demonstrates Scotland’s distinctive and humane response to refugees and is a model respected elsewhere in UK. A dedicated service like this is needed now more than ever, given the current humanitarian crisis.”
Picture courtesy of lachicaphoto
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