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Analysis: A Long Road for Iraq's Refugees

Council on Foreign Relations

May 22, 2008
Author: Greg Bruno

The plight of Iraq's refugees, often overlooked amid the ongoing challenges of reconstruction and redevelopment, has surfaced as a major policy challenge for the United States and Iraq as nongovernmental organizations, aid groups, and lawmakers demand more be done to address the problem. The United Nations estimates that three decades of war and internal conflict have uprooted nearly five million Iraqis. Despite a clear and present need for action, however, a political consensus on a new policy toward these refugees remains elusive. As Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-NY), chairman of a House subcommittee on Middle East affairs, said recently, "The two governments who should be most concerned …are the ones who seem the least interested in helping."

Since 2003, the United States has allocated at least $208 million to assisting displaced Iraqis. Ambassador James B. Foley, the top State Department official for Iraqi refugee issues, said in April that he expects total contributions to reach about $280 million. House lawmakers are also trying to increase spending by an additional $454 million over the president’s budget request. Iraqis, too, are making dollars available. In a new podcast with CFR.org, Said I. Hakki, president of the Iraqi Red Crescent Organization, says the government of Nouri al-Maliki responded quickly to requests for cash to help feed embattled residents of Sadr City.

Yet opponents of Baghdad's policies point to a perceived inability to spend money (PDF). Iraq's coffers are flush with oil revenue, and yet a lack of institutional capacity and poor planning means much of its budget goes unspent. The inertia has generated appeals for fixes deep within Iraq’s power structure. On May 12 the head of parliament's Displacement and Migration Committee threatened to resign (IRIN) unless reforms are made.

Read the rest of this article on the cfr.org website.

Copyright 2008 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.