Iraq Mission

September 2007: Amnesty International's fact finding mission to assess the current situation of Iraqi refugees in Jordan.

Why the mission?

Approximately 2.2 million Iraqis are displaced within their own country and another 2.5 million refugees have fled Iraq. This displacement crisis is continuing to worsen as an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 people reportedly flee violence and persecution in Iraq each month. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 2000 people are fleeing to Syria each day. These refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are targets of persecution due to their political opinions, ethnicities, religious affiliations, and sexual orientations, to name just a few factors. Many of the Iraqi refugees and IDPs fear persecution because they worked closely with and helped the U.S. military, U.S. contractors, media, and humanitarian organizations.

Why now?

In March and July 2007, Amnesty International (AI) sent fact-finding missions to Jordan and Syria. The delegations met with many Iraqi nationals, representatives of national and international NGOs, and government officials, including representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Interior and Education. It was clear that the authorities and many local and international non-governmental groups are making significant efforts to respond to the refugees' needs, but that these are not sufficient due to the massive displacement and the likelihood that this will continue while the security situation in Iraq remains so dire.

What do we want to find out?

From September 7 through 17, our own Refugee Program Director, Sarnata Reynolds, will return with AI to Jordan. The mission will assess the current situation of Iraqi refugees in Jordan, evaluate access to education and healthcare, and explore how other nations are supporting the Jordanian government in its hosting of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees.

How will we help Iraqi refugees with our mission?

Between September 25-28, Sarnata will travel to Geneva with an AI delegation to discuss findings with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Upon her return to the U.S., she will brief the U.S. government, media and the NGO community on mission observations and recommendations.