Overview of the Iraqi Refugee Crisis
Scope of the Problem and the Humanitarian Response
The violence and insecurity resulting from the ongoing sectarian strife, terrorism, and insurgency in Iraq has had a marked impact on civilian displacement in different parts of the country. Since the bombing of the Shiite Muslim Al-Askariya shrine in Samarra in February 2006, sectarian violence accelerated an already developing pattern of population displacement and emigration. In terms of overall figures, including those displaced prior to the 2003 war, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) believes that there may be 2 million refugees who have fled Iraq, mostly to Jordan and Syria, and another 2.2 million who have fled…
