Palestinians who fled from Iraq seeking shelter in Sudan

Several parties are trying to negotiate a solution for the Palestinian refugees who sit stranded on the border between Iraq and Syria.

By THE MEDIA LINE NEWS AGENCY
jordan pal refugees 298. (photo credit: Shabtai Gold)
jordan pal refugees 298.
(photo credit: Shabtai Gold)
Some 2,000 Palestinian refugees who fled from Iraq are seeking shelter in Sudan. Several parties are trying to negotiate a solution for the Palestinian refugees who sit stranded on the border between Iraq and Syria and in camps near the border, a spokeswoman for the United Nation's refugee agency said. Abeer Etefa, Middle East and North Africa spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told The Media Line that talks were ongoing between the UNHCR, the Sudanese government, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League. All questions regarding resettlement of the refugees have been finalized, apart from the accommodation problem due to a housing shortage in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Etefa said. She could not provide a date for the relocation, as this depends on the housing problem. Relocation will offer the refugees a temporary solution and a safe place to decide where to go from Sudan. "Their situation at the moment is very precarious," Etefa said. "People are dying for lack of medical services." Conditions in the refugee camps at the border are inadequate and the houses are uninhabitable, she said. Thousands of Palestinians fled Iraq since the war in Iraq began in 2003. Tens of thousands of Palestinians originally arrived in Iraq as refugees and enjoyed protection under Saddam Hussein's regime but they have faced continuous harassment since Saddam was ousted in 2003. Some escaped from Iraq and sought refuge in other countries such as Jordan and Syria, but many have been stranded on the borders for several years.