UNCHR says Palestinians at Syrian border need medical facilities

A UNHCR team visited Al Waleed on Sunday and found that the tented camp is overcrowded and many people are suffering from respiratory and other ailments that need proper medical treatment. But the nearest hospital in Iraq is located four hours away by car and the road runs through dangerous territory. At least three people, including a six-month-old baby, have died from treatable illnesses since the camp opened. Living conditions are likely to get worse during the summer months. Temperatures of more than 50 degrees Celsius have already been recorded this month, while sandstorms are another regular hazard. International aid agencies, including UNHCR, are not allowed to maintain a presence in the camp due to security reasons and so they must visit during the day and can only visit on an infrequent basis. Water is trucked to the camp daily, but this is rationed to less than one litre per person because of the increasing numbers of Palestinians fleeing to Al Waleed to escape threats and attacks in Baghdad. More are expected.

Fire in al-Tanf camp injures 28

A fire swept through the Al Tanf refugee camp in no-man's land desert area between Syria and Iraq on Tuesday night, leaving 28 Palestinian refugees injured. "Within one minute the tent was a fireball. We had seconds to pull our families out of the surrounding tents, which are one metre apart," said a Palestinian refugee who lost everything in the fire. "There was no time to take anything. Our children were sleeping. My neighbour has serious burns because he went into the burning flames looking for his child who had already run out of the tent. Everything is lost, including our hope in life." The fire was apparently caused by a spark from an electric cable in a tent which ignited a diesel can and gas cylinder. The flames spread rapidly, fanned by strong winds. Border guards two miles away said they heard several loud explosions as gas cylinders and televisions exploded in the flames. Fortunately, the previous day UNHCR had brought in extra oxygen canisters for five asthmatic refugee children suffering from the swirling sand and dust around the desert camp. These supplies were used to help over thirty people, mostly children, suffering from the inhalation of toxic smoke fumes. Seven tents, personal documents and all the possessions of seven Palestinian families who have been stranded at the camp for the past 11 months were destroyed in the blaze. "This is the second time a fire has broken out in this camp. It is an example of how inappropriate and dangerous this place is for humans to live in and underlines the need to move these refugees to an appropriate and safe place," said Laurens Jolles, UNHCR's Representative in Syria. "This was an accident waiting to happen. In the winter the refugees have endured flooding; now the heat is becoming unbearable and we can expect tragedy upon tragedy to follow if we do not find a solution for these people."

US official discusses resettlement in Kurdistan or OPTs

"Palestinian refugees are the most vulnerable population [in Iraq] with no where to go", said US Department of State Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration Ellen Sauerbrey in a press briefing Monday about the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Displaced Iraqis held in Geneva last week. Sauerbrey added that the estimated 15,000 Palestinian refugees inside Iraq are "the most difficult situation we are dealing with". Sauerbrey said her administration is talking to Kurdish officials and the Palestinian Authority to resettle those refugees, but no outcome has been reached so far. She said the Palestinian officials she talked to have told her that "they view this issue as unique" and they are requesting the settlement of those refugees in the Palestinian territories.

Palestinians threatened in Anbar

IRIN reports that Palestinians living in Anbar have come under increasing pressure from militants to leave or be killed, according to NGOs and Palestinian sources. “Palestinians had been looking for safety and had found it in Anbar province but now they are being targeted [there also]. The threats they have received are an effrontery against the feelings of Muslim Arabs. They have nowhere to go and might be killed if they try to go to another place,” Mahmoud Aydan, a media officer for the Ramadi council, said. “We believe that there are about 150 families taking refuge in different cities of Anbar province but they haven’t been registered with the National Food Programme which makes it harder to know their exact location.” Ahmed Muffitlak, spokesman for the Baghdad-based Palestinian Muslims Association (PMA) said he was concerned about the fate of Palestinians in Anbar province after militants left threatening notes on the doors of Palestinians taking refuge in the area. “At least 17 families have fled Ramadi after militants gave them a week to leave their homes or become the next victims of violence in Iraq." Muffitlak is in Ramadi trying to persuade the local authorities to protect Palestinians.

Ahmed Raki, a 43-year-old Palestinian father of three lives in Ramadi. “There are dozens of [Palestinian] families living with Iraqis in Ramadi, Fallujah and al-Qaim and the threats have been delivered to their homes. We don’t have money, goods and some elderly people are very sick, requiring urgent medical assistance. But they will be forced to flee the area to save their lives. Two girls from our community were raped last week by militants who told them that it was a message to the Palestinians in Anbar to leave the area,” Raki added. “I have to leave before my two daughters meet the same fate.”

Palestinian killed in Baghdad explosion

Mohammad Shihada left Al Baladiyyat compound in Baghdad, this morning, to go to Al Yarmouk Hospital to conduct medical checkups and receive medications for a chronic disease. He was killed, along with his Iraqi nephew, in an explosive charge apparently left on the side of the street.

Sandstorm at al-Tanf camp

WAFA reports that the Palestinian refugee camp at al-Tank on the Syrian-Iraqi borders was exposed on Thursday to a sand storm resulting in the uprooting and tearing of tents.

UNHCR conference makes no decision on Palestinians

IPS reports that no decision had been reached by the end of the UNCHR Geneva conference on the status of the refugees who were in Iraq prior to the invasion, especially that of some 15,000 Palestinians, whose plight High Commissioner Antonio Guterres described "the most dramatic and frustrating situation we have at the moment," he said.

Civil society sources said that the United States is trying to interest Latin American governments in granting asylum to groups of Palestinian refugees from Iraq. The U.S. delegation at the conference admitted that its government has already made contact with the Brazilian authorities towards that end.The Middle East Times says that a US official attending the conference would not be drawn into saying what seemed to be implicit - that Palestinians are not being considered for possible resettlement under the expanded American allotment of 25,000 places for this year - but said, "don't forget, there are also Sudanese refugees in Iraq, too." The same official said America would consider any cases for resettlement submitted through the UNHCR.

Palestinian refugees in India protest at UN

Palestinian refugees in India staged a sit in outside the UNHCR office in New Delhi today. Istasar Mustafa, one of the protesting refugees, said she had fled from Iraq a year back due to attacks on her community by the militia. "We are Palestinian refugees from Iraq. We were facing a lot of persecution from different militias in Iraq. We fled from there and arrived in India. We are facing problems here. We are here to ask for a solution to our problems." Around 160 Palestinians from Iraq are seeking refugee status in India and are struggling financially as they are no allowed to work.

Yemen to champion Palestinians at UNHCR conference

Yemen will be participating in the UNHCR Geneva conference on refugees from Iraq. The head of the Yemeni delegation to the conference Ameen al-Yousfi said that the Yemeni delegation would particularly "concentrate on the matter of the Palestinian refugees in Iraq."

Palestinians protest at Iraq-Syria border

758 Palestinian refugees who are stranded at al-Waleed on the Iraq-Syria border have staged an open sit-in since 12 April to draw international attention to what they say is their ongoing suffering. “Our situation is getting worse from day to day, yet no one sees what we’re going through and helps us get through this ordeal,” Qussai Mohammed Saleh, a 32-year-old Palestinian refugee. Saleh said the refugees were tired of short-term solutions to their predicament. “We’re refusing all assistance. The solution to our problem does not lie in giving us assistance. We rejected two truckloads of aid two days ago, donated by an Italian aid agency. It’s been raining cats and dogs for the past two days and the heavy rain has filled our tents with water. We demand that Arab and international leaders take an immediate decision about us. There’s only one goal for us and that’s to get out of Iraq as soon as possible without being hurt. We’ll continue with our sit-in until we achieve this goal.” Another 826 Palestinian refugees are scattered in three other makeshift camps.

High Commissioner says 600 Palestinians killed

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, speaking at a press conference in Abu Dhabi yesterday, urged Arab and Islamic countries to have a stronger voice in the UNHCR, to ensure Muslim refugees get adequate protection and assistance. He voiced particular concern for ensuring protection for the Palestinians in Iraq, noting that they in particular "have been the targets of ongoing violence and suffering ... We are discussing with the Iraqi government the possibility of establishing a safe haven inside Iraq for the Palestinians." At a press briefing a few days previously in Bahrain he said: "There are 15,000 Palestinian refugees in Baghdad who are being targeted by the militia because they are thought to be associated with the previous regime and 600 of them have been killed."

Washington Post article on Ruweished

Anthony Shahid interviews a Palestinian at Ruweished camp, Samir Abdel-Rahim, for the Washington Post. Robert Breen, the representative of the UNHCR in Jordan says of Ruwesihed: "I can't recall ever having seen this kind of situation in such a bleak environment. They can't go backward, and they aren't moving forward. They're literally stuck in the desert -- no way back, and nowhere to go."Abdel-Rahim's wife recalled the fate of her brother, Marwan Lutfi. Members of a Shiite militia, wearing police uniforms, entered his tailor shop on Baghdad's storied Rashid Street in April 2006, she said. His co-workers told her that the militiamen asked him to come with them for 15 minutes. "He walked with them," she said. For a moment, she was silent, tears welling in her eyes. "He never returned." Four days later, her brother's body was found in the street, covered in acid burns, she said. He had been shot 21 times.

Yemen's President says Arab summit must help Palestinians

President Saleh of Yemen, arriving in Riyadh, said that the Arab League summit has to tackle with a sense of responsibility the ordeal of the Palestinians living in Iraq, in light of the threats and violence they have been experiencing at the hands of militias and death squads.

Refugees appeal to Arab League Summit

IMEMC reports Palestinian Refugees in Iraq sent a statement to the Arab League summit in Riyadh asking the participants “not to allow the Iraqi delegation to side-step their issue”, and asking them not to believe the delegation’s pledges of protecting them. They said that the Iraqi government is not interested in protecting the refugees “since it had many chances to do so, but chose not to”, and accused the Iraqi government of “giving orders for committing crimes against the refugees”. The refugees also said that the government repeatedly vowed in several previous conferences that it would provide the Palestinian refugees with the needed protection “but waged more violent attacks against them”. In their message to the summit, the refugees stated that there is a growing rejection to their presence in Iraq. “If the summit only voices a naïve statement calling for our protection, the leaders should know that they have fired the mercy bullet at us”, the letter of the refugee reads, “a naïve statement would be similar to passing a death sentence on the refugees who remain here”.

2 Palestinians killed in prison

Mafkarat al-Islam reported that two Palestinian refugees living in Iraq had been tortured to death in Iraqi Interior Ministry prisons. The Palestinian Information Center quoted Palestinians who were among a group of 12 who were locked up in an Interior Ministry prison who said that the two were killed when they were being tortured in an attempt to extract “confessions” that they were responsible of attacks on the US and its local puppet allies. The source indicated that seven Palestinian refugees, detained in the Interior Ministry’s prisons since the massacres in the al-Baladiyat neighborhood of Baghdad two weeks ago, are expected to be released on Monday. Palestinian sources said that the Interior Ministry, launched a major campaign of raids, searches, and mass arrests targeted on Palestinians in Baghdad in the last two days. A group of four large buses hauled about 200 Palestinian refugees out of Baghdad, dumping them at the al-Walid tent camp near the Iraqi border with Syria.

The Yemen News Agency reports that a symposium organized by Kanan Association for Supporting Palestine called for Arab Leaders to alliviate the suffering of Palestinians in Iraq and sent a copy of the call to the UN Secretary General, Security Council and European Union. The Chairman of the Association, Yahya Saleh, said the symposium aims at shedding light on the suffering of the Palestinian refugees in Iraq within the framework of preparing for an international conference to protect the civil rights of Palestinian refugees in different countries.

Abbas asks Security Council to help

At a press conference with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, President Abbas demanded that the UN Security Council rescue the Palestinian refugees in Iraq since they are subjected to systematic attacks.

UNHCR discusses Yemen as a temporary refugee for Palestians

Ma'an news agency reports that a spokesperson for the UNHCR said that consultations are ongoing regarding transporting the Palestinian refugees in Iraq to Yemen as a temporary settlement. She said that the project is not the first suggestion and previously Kurdistan, Canada and Australia had been considered.

Palestinians from Iraq in India

CNN in India reports on a family of Palestinian refugees from Iraq now living in India (see video). It focuses on 8yr old Jamal who's home in Iraq was bombed, his school shelled and his best friend killed. He says “I want to go to an Indian school and learn English. Children in the Iraqi school [in Delhi] do not treat me well. They call me a refugee." The report says the family has "been living off their savings and there isn't much left" as well as aid from UNHCR. The report says there are 160 refugees living Delhi, but it is unclear whether this refers to Palestinians from Iraq specifically, or refugees from Iraq in general.

UNCHR reports abuses in detention

UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said "UNHCR and other organisations have also received allegations of physical abuse and possibly torture being carried out [on Palestinians] in detention, an allegation denied by the Iraqi authorities. One ex-detainee reported he was beaten on his back and suffered a broken hand. He believed that others had been subjected to worse treatment." Seperately UNHCR notes that it has "received reports that the families of several detained Palestinians have been forced to pay thousands of dollars to some members of the Iraqi security forces – allegedly for protection from torture and mutilation of their family members while in detention. Higher sums have reportedly been demanded to ensure their release. The Palestinians who arrived at the border claimed that their houses had been raided by the special forces, their furniture thrown out of their homes and that they were told they had two days to leave their homes. Others claimed they had been detained and maltreated before being released. UNHCR is also very much concerned about the safety of NGOs working with the Palestinians. On March 13, one NGO staff dealing with the Palestinian community was abducted in front of his son by unknown men and found dead the next day." He added that at least 186 Palestinians had been confirmed murdered in Baghdad between April 2004 and January this year. UNHCR believes the number may be significantly higher. "How much more will have to happen before the international community and the countries in the region respond positively to calls to have Palestinians relocated out of Iraq," said Andrew Harper, head of UNHCR's Iraq Support Unit. "The Palestinians are particularly targeted, not protected and have nowhere to flee to."

Reuters report fro al-Tanf camp on Catch 22 for Palestinians

Reuters reports from al-Tanf camp: "Hameda Um Firas has lived most of her 70-odd years as a refugee - now she is stranded in a tent again at Iraq's border with Syria where hundreds of Palestinians have fled to escape violence in Baghdad. "We escaped in fear of our lives. My granddaughter was decapitated by a missile attack and our sons were killed, we fled Iraq to spare our lives," she said, barely able to contain tears of anger at Arab countries she said should be helping. "We are living in a miserable state in this camp," she said as children played in dusty lanes between white tents with clothes hanging to dry on the guy ropes. A 25-year-old who gave only his first name, Alaa, fled to the camp at the Tanaf border crossing after gunmen killed one of his brothers. "All my family are separated now, I know nothing about my brothers and where they are," he said... UNHCR spokeswoman Astrid van Genderen Stort said "The difference with Palestinians is they have nowhere to go," she said. "A lot of them have expired identity papers which the Iraqis are not extending because it's not their priority. They're in a Catch-22. They're targeted, they have death threats, they have these raids, but they can't flee and when they flee they either have to do it illegally or they are stuck at the border. Palestinians are seen as insurgents or trouble makers ... because they're Sunnis."

Update on Baladiat raid + condemnation from UNHCR

UNHCR has condemned Thursday's raid, apparently part of the Baghdad secu. It says at least one person was killed and "Sixty people were reportedly detained during Wednesday's raid, but most were released and just nine are said to be still in detention. The raid prompted at least 41 other Palestinians to flee the capital and join 850 compatriots who have been stranded at the Iraq-Syria border since last May. [and] "More are expected to be on their way," UNHCR chief spokesperson, Ron Redmond, told reporters in Geneva." The dead man was a guard at a Baghdad mosque and reportedly suffered at least one gunshot to the head."

Iraq Slogger notes that the Iraqi News Agency reported Palestinian Prime Minister Isma'il Haniya and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas both condemned the raid and demanding that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani protect the Palestinian refugee community in Iraq from victimization at the hands of both the government forces and armed religious groups.

Refugee expert calls on West to resettle Palestinians

Kristele Younes of Refugees International writes about the Iraq refugee crisis for the think thank Foreign Policy in Focus. She recommends that "Western countries, including the U.S., must agree to resettle particularly vulnerable groups, such as the Palestinians, without prejudice to their right to return to their country as recognized under international law." Kristele visited the border camps last November and heard first hand the testimonies of Palestinian refugees.

Iraqi police attack Palestinian compound

There are a number of reports on an attack on a Palestinian appartment building in Baladiat district yesterday, the figures and accounts vary: The AP reports that Iraqi security forces raided a Palestinian compound in Baghdad after an attack on a police patrol, prompting a battle that left one Palestinian dead, Iraqi officials, and at least 15 Palestinians were detained. Palestinian charge d'affaires Dalil al-Qusous said as many as 80 Palestinians had been detained and demanded their release. He claimed the Iraqi troops fired randomly during the raid, causing "fear and awe." Another AP report quotes Qusous further "We used to say the attacks occurred by militias or gangs; but now the state is attacking" and he continued explaining that Interior Ministry forces first broke into the compound in eastern Baghdad on Tuesday, seizing two Palestinians and shooting randomly. Then they returned for about five hours on Wednesday, detaining dozens and sparking a gunbattle that killed one Palestinian. A later AP report added that the Interior Ministry spokesman, Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, defending the raid on the Palestinian compound in eastern Baghdad, saying it was targeting a stolen car network, not the Palestinians. Police met with fierce resistance when they went to arrest suspects on Wednesday and he said "three gang members were killed and 15 others arrested." The LA Times writes "Iraqi police and soldiers traded fire with gunmen holed up in an apartment building inhabited by Palestinian refugees in east Baghdad. At least two people were killed and three injured inside the building, police said at the scene. U.S. and Iraqi security forces surrounded the building and apprehended up to 70 suspects." The IraqSlogger, based on a report from the Haqq Agency, says "Eyewitnesses said that ten people were killed in the raids and several others wounded after Iraqi troops opened fire randomly." Reuters reports that "Iraqi troops raided a complex in eastern Baghdad occupied by Palestinian refugees after receiving information that a car bomb was inside the compound, Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier Abdul Karim Khalaf said. Khalaf said shooting broke out and three men gunmen were killed and 25 others were arrested, including Iraqis and Palestianians."

Mahdi Army abducts & kills Palestinian in Tobchi district

Iraqslogger translates a report from the Arabic Haqq news agency, stating that "that Mahdi Army militiamen abducted a Palestinian citizen from outside his house in the Tobchi district, west of Baghdad. His family found his corpse dumped near the railroad in the area, which is where Shi’ite militias that control the district dispose of bodies."

200 Palestinians from Iraq in Cyprus

The Cyprus Mail reports that 200 Palestinian refugees who fled from Iraq are in a desperate financial situation and claim the immigration authorities are not adequately helping them. The group’s spokesman, Abu Ahmed, told the Mail that the 40 families have been on the receiving end of stalling tactics designed to stop them applying for asylum. "Every time we go to the Larnaca immigration office, we are told to come back in a week. When we return in a week, we are told to go back again in ten days. This situation has been going on for the last two months now. No reason for the delays is ever given. The officers are so rude and aggressive and are constantly shouting at us. Because of their delays, we are now living in fear of being arrested, as we are technically on the island illegally." Ahmed also says that the group has not been given free legal advice, which is their right.

Ahmed said the group left Baghdad following attacks on the camp in which "At least 500 people were killed, kidnapped or arrested. With everything going on around us, we couldn’t stay at the camp and had to leave before it was too late. We couldn’t go to any other Arab country as we’re Palestinian and decided to come to Cyprus as many of us had been to the island before on holiday and found the people sympathetic to us. We felt we would be safe here as our people are similar to one another."

Doros Polycarpou, President of KISA, Action for Equality, Support and Anti-Racism, described the Palestinian’s plight as, “very serious”, adding that they are "being denied the right to apply for asylum, which they are entitled to. The law is very clear: From the first moment that they arrived on the island, they should have been looked after, not had life made difficult for them." The group’s lawyer said it was regrettable that they had experienced delays, but said that she had been in touch with the relevant immigration authorities, "who will now be accepting asylum applications from the individuals in question."

>31 attacks on Palestinians in February

The Palestinian Ministry of Refugees today issued a report noting 31 attacks Palestinian in Iraq in February (and estimating there were dozens more that went unreported), resulting in 8 deaths. The attacks also included breaking into houses, beating the residents, and stealing money and household items. It said that at least 15 were abducted by insurgents and U.S troops. Two of the abducted refugees were released, the bodies of two others were discovered with signs of torture, and the fate of the others remains unknown. The Ministry called on the Jordanian and Syrian governments to allow in the Palestinian refugees who are stranded on the borders under harsh conditions. Zakariya al-Agha, Member of the PLO Executive Committee, called on the Iraqi Government to protect the Palestinian refugees and work for improving their deteriorated living conditions. He added that the a delegation from the PLO will visit Iraq to meet with the Palestinian refugees there and follow up the situation with the Iraqi government.

Interview with Fu'ad Ahmed

IRIN interviews Fu’ad Ahmed is a 47-year-old Palestinian father of two who has been living in Iraq for the past 18 years. "My children grew up here and we always had good relations with all Iraqis but in the past few years my situation in this country has become terrible. My daughter, Hanan was married to an Iraqi but was forced to divorce him because his family didn’t want to have Palestinian blood in their future children. My son Waleed and his wife were killed in July 2006 by militia men who accused him of participating in the insurgency, but he was a good boy. Since his death my wife has developed serious psychological problems. Because I am unemployed, I cannot afford medical treatment for her. I haven’t had a job now for the past three years. When employers learn that I’m Palestinian they just give me a silly excuse and tell me to look elsewhere. We fled our home in September last year and became displaced [because of the violence in the neighbourhood]. Since then, we have been constantly on the move, looking for a more secure place. But the violence is getting more dangerous day by day and with Palestinians targeted, no one wants us near them. I have to look after my sick wife, my daughter who is suffering from depression since her husband left her and my grandchild after my son was killed. I don’t have money to leave Iraq. All my savings were stolen by Iraqi soldiers when they raided my home in December 2005. I went to a police station to seek help to recover my money but the only answer I got was that I should be thankful to be alive because Saddam’s followers were being killed every day."

"I’m desperate. I have no job, no food, no home and no respect. I don’t want to become a beggar in Baghdad’s streets but if the situation continues like this, I don’t know if I can it stand any longer. I spend all day in the streets looking for a job. Sometimes I am hired to clear somebody’s garden because they don’t know I’m Palestinian and I can get a few dinars to buy food for my family. We try to cope with fewer meals so that we can survive for a longer time. Now, my food ration has been cut off and my son was expelled from dentistry college in his fourth year before he was killed. They told him that they were tired of giving free education to people who never helped to build the country. The situation got worse when we asked for psychiatric treatment for my wife in a public hospital. He [the doctor there] was rude and refused to attend to my wife and daughter saying that he is not paid to treat ex-regime supporters. Today, I’m living as a displaced person on the outskirts of Baghdad but tomorrow I might be in a grave if someone doesn’t help us soon."

Background article + 25 accepted by Canada from Ruweished

A Palestinian based in Canada, Rafeef Ziadah, gives an excellent summary on Electronic Intifada of the history of Palestinians in Iraq and an update on refugees currently in Canada. Some extracts follow: "Palestinians came to Iraq in several waves, each time fleeing a war. The first group is originally from villages around Haifa and Yaffa. They resisted the initial Israeli attacks on their villages, but were later forced to flee to Jenin where the Iraqi army was present. The women and children were evacuated to Iraq and all adult men were incorporated into a special unit in the Iraqi army, the Karmel Brigade. When the Iraqi Army left Palestine in 1948, these villagers (about 4000 in all) retreated with it. The next wave of Palestinians arrived in Iraq after the 1967 War and a third group arrived in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War when Palestinian refugees were forced to leave Kuwait... Palestinians in Iraq were issued special travel documents, had the right to work and were given full access to health, education and other government services. They were also provided with government-owned housing or subsidized rent in privately-owned houses [but they] were not given citizenship, however, nor were they allowed to own assets such as cars, houses, or land. The precariousness of their situation was revealed starkly after the US invasion, and their preferential treatment, much of which was more apparent than real, made them targets for reprisals."

Referring to the small amount of resettlement today he mentions that: "Another 25 individuals from Al-Ruweished camp have been accepted to come to Canada under private, "group of five" sponsorship. This means that a group of five individuals are taking personal responsibility for them. Sponsors have to establish stability and income. This process of sponsorship does not entitle the refugees to any welfare services, as the sponsoring individuals need to cover the full expenses of the families for the first 12 months. For their first year in Canada, those refugees will not be able to access any of the services offered to the other 54 that were sponsored by the government. This is the privatization of the 'Palestinian refugee problem'."

Palestinians in Canada raising support for refugees

The Palestine House Educational & Cultural Centre in Ontario is fundraising to support Palestinians from Iraq being resettled in Canada under private sponsorship.

Palestinian writer killed

IMEMC reports that the Iraq refugees' affairs ministry announced the death of Ahmed Alriyahie , a Palestinian writer originally from Tulkarem; according to the Iraqi ministry, Alriyahie was shot when unknown gang members attacked his house on Sunday.

High Commissioner appeal to Arab League

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, addressed a meeting of the Arab League's Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Egypt. He praised Arab states for their traditional generosity toward the displaced and urged them to take a more active role in UNHCR's work in Iraq. He made a special plea on the non-Iraqi refugees inside Iraq, including the 15,000 Palestinians.

Interview with Masawabi family in Gaza

Al Jazeera interviews a Palestinian family who escaped from Baghdad to Gaza: The Masawabi family fled Iraq and came to Gaza after the father was shot dead on his doorstep. Hanaa Masawabi, left, said in Iraq she live in fear of her children being kidnapped But though the trauma they lived through in Baghdad is still fresh in their minds, Hajja Haniya and her daughter Hanaa feel safe now. Haniya said: "We fled after my husband was killed. My daughter and her husband were also threatened. There was no place for us anymore. "We didn't flee from the people. Our neighbours cried for what happened to us." Like most Palestinians from Iraq, all they had were refugee travel documents that expired. Now, they have no travel documents and no passports. Hanaa went through a hellish journey to get to Gaza. In Cairo, Egyptian authorities would not admit her into Egypt while Iraq would not receive her back because her stay permit had expired. Caught between two countries she was deported back and forth for 19 days. Countless interventions later, she and her family were finally allowed to make it to Gaza. Hanaa said: "I'm finally settled. I used to live in fear that they would kill my husband or kidnap one of my children. Now I can sleep at night without fear."

MRG report mentions Palestinians being of special concern

A report on minorities in Iraq, published today by the Minority Rights Group International, warns about the plight of the Palestinian community. It draws largely on reports by Human Rights Watch and UNHCR, so does not add any new information, but adds to the international concern that Palestinians are being exterminated and have no where to flee.

Ha'aretz article

Zvi Bar'el writes about the refugees from Iraq for Ha'aretz, the left-of-centre Israeli paper. He reports on Kurdish opposition to Palestinians coming to Kurdistan. He quotes a statement from Talabani saying "They are certainly invited to visit the Kurdish region, but we will not let them settle there." He also quotes Sheikh Nasser al-Saidi, a Shi'ite cleric in Sadr City, who called for the expulsion of Palestinians from Iraq. "Go to your own Palestine. Fight the occupation there," he told them. Also the the Iraqi minister of displaced persons and immigration said in an interview, "Palestinians are not wanted now in Iraq, because they are suspected of committing acts of terror." A Palestinian recently told a reporter from the London-based Al-Hayat. "As soon as they notice that one's accent is not Iraqi - and, even worse, is Palestinian - the victim has no choice but to leave his home - that is, if they let him leave in peace."

NPR broadcast from Ruwaishid.

NPR broadcasts from Ruwaishid camp in Jordan. One Palestinian interviewed said "We've started to get really bored here. There are people here who have stopped leaving their tents out of boredom. They're mentally tired of being here. Even a prisoner knows how long his sentence will be." UNHCR representative Robert Breen said: "Four years in the desert in this location is more than anybody should have to endure. I thinks it's affected both their physical health, their psychological health, the education of their children, the ability to be able to function in any society. The longer they stay there, the more disadvantaged and dysfunctional they become."

US troops kill Palestinian driver

Mafkarat al-Islam reported that the Palestine Today Network – a private network for assistance to Palestinian refugees in Iraq – announced that Muwaffaq 'Abd al-Ghani, 25, who worked as a driver transporting travelers within Iraq, was shot dead by US troops after a bomb that had been planted by the side of a road blew up near a US patrol. As is their habit, the Americans responded by shooting wildly around the area following the explosion and this time killed 'Abd al-Ghani. In a separate incident, National Guards attacked and robbed a Palestinian family and arrested one of the family members. More than 900 Palestinians have been murdered by sectarian death squads in Iraq since the American occupation of the country in the spring of 2003.

Palestinian from al-Sieha kidnapped & killed

IMEMC reports that Anwar Mohamed, a Palestinian, was found dead in a street in downtown Baghdad city near a vegetable market. The man's family reported that a group of masked unknown gunmen attacked the family house located Al Sieha neighborhood in the city; an area which is mainly inhabited by Palestinian refugees. The gunmen destroyed the house then kidnapped Anwar and another, disabled, man. The disabled man was released shortly after being kidnapped on Sunday, he suffered from bone fractures due to torture while Anwar died after being shot in the head on Monday morning.

UNHCR conference on refugees from Iraq

UNHCR will be convening a ministerial-level conference in Geneva, April 17-18, on the humanitarian needs of refugees and displaced people in Iraq and the surrounding region. The conference will bring together Iraqi authorities and those of neighbouring countries, major refugee-hosting states, major donor countries, resettlement countries, concerned regional governmental organisations, NGOs and the UN. One of it's three main objectives will be "To identify more targeted responses to specific problems, including finding lasting solutions for those groups most at risk – e.g. Palestinian refugees in Iraq."

Barzani's spokesman denies Faraaneh's claims about safe haven

The AP has followed up on its interview with Hamadah Faraanah (an Amman-based member of the Palestine National Council) by checking it with a Kurdish official. Unfortunately he denied that permission has been granted for Palestinian refugees in Iraq to find a safe haven in Kurdistan. Barzani's spokesman Fuad Hussein said: "Such topics didn't occur during the visit of Palestinian delegation to Kurdistan." The discrepancy could not immediately be clarified as Faraaneh could not be immediately reached for comment. He had previously told the AP that the deal he'd help negotiate would allow "Palestinian refugees trapped in Iraq a safe haven, a place to live, work or study in the Kurdish provinces and to treat them appropriately as guests of the Kurdish region."

Faraaneh says Palestinians to get passports and safe haven

The AP reports from Amman that "Iraqi government and Kurdish leaders have agreed to give thousands of Palestinian refugees in Iraq a safe haven in northern Kurdish areas, said Hamadah Faraaneh, a Palestinian official who negotiated the deal said Wednesday. He also said the Iraqi government also agreed to issue temporary passports for the Palestinians to enable them to travel outside the country." If this is true, it is extremely good news, but mixed messages have been coming out regarding the PLO delegations to Iraq recently, and we can't yet verify this information. Faraaneh is a journalist and former Jordanian MP.

Ambassador Kassous & KDP say no transfer to Kurdistan

Gulf News reports the Palestinian President's envoy, Jibriel Rajoub, did not meet Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki or any prominent Shiite political figures during his recent visit to Baghdad. It adds that Ambassador Kassous denied any Palestinian-Kurd agreement to transfer Palestinian residents from Baghdad to the Kurdish safe region. Also Fadhil Merani, the secretary of Barazani's Kurdistan Democratic Party said: "The Palestinians are welcomed in Kurdistan, however, there is no intention to resettle them in the territory." The Gulf News article concludes: "It seems that Kurds and Sunni political forces exerted strong pressure on the Shiite Coalition Iraqi government to determine a new resolution with the aim of Palestinians being treated the same as Iraqis except in settlement issues and the granting of citizenship. According to this resolution Palestinian graduates will be able to work in finance, oil ministries and the Central Bank but not the army, the police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Security operation in Baladiat

Gulf News reports that the Palestinian Ambassador, Dalil Kassous, has welcomed the new security plan conducted by Iraqi and US forces despite the launch of a security operation in the Baladiyat district and the arrest of three young Palestinians. "Palestinians are for any security plan that leads to peace and security in Iraq, and this will guarantee security for the Palestinian community living in this Arabic country. There are ongoing security operations in the Baladiyat district, which includes the largest Palestinian community in Baghdad. This development must be understood as a part of the general situation in most Iraqi districts and thus we don't think it is addressed against Palestinians particularly." Kassous stressed there is ongoing movement to release Palestinian detainees accused of terrorism. He pointed out the Palestinian-Iraqi Shiite relationship is in its best phase and there is continuing dialogue with Shiite leaders to promote this relationship. "The Iraqi political leaders' general view about Palestinians' loyalty to Saddam Hussain had diminished. They believe that terrorist acts directed at the Palestinian community are part of the general security situation .. and that doesn't mean Iraqi Shiite- Palestinians relations are marred."

Growing stigmatisation of Palestinians

Th AP underlines the growing stigmatisation of Palestinians, as part of a "wave of resentment" as Iraqis increasingly point the finger at "foreign Arabs". A television ad, widely aired across Iraq in recent weeks, shows a wealthy Arab man, with a foreign accent, giving an Iraqi teenager some cash and a bomb to plant. Police burst in and arrest him. "You come here from abroad and want to make this young man kill his Iraqi brothers?" an officer accuses. After a suicide truck bomb killed more than 132 people in a Baghdad market a few weeks ago, the head of the Interior Ministry's explosives department, Maj. Gen. Jihad al-Jabiri, said: "I call on the government to deport (foreign) Arabs immediately."

The article says some of the resentment stems from: "Saddam lavished large cash payments on Palestinian suicide bombers in the 1990s, when Iraq faced crippling economic sanctions and many Iraqis were jobless. That caused Iraqis to feel strong resentment toward Palestinians... Sabah Abdul-Wahed, a 35-year-old Shiite Muslim cashier at a restaurant in Baghdad's predominantly Shiite neighborhood of New Baghdad, said he can't help feeling resentment toward foreign Arabs who live in Iraq. "They had more privileges than Iraqis, and under Saddam they had better lives than ours. I don't mean all Arabs but many of them.""

An insight into life in Ruwaishid camp

CBS reports from Ruwaishid camp on the miserable conditions there, interviewing Miriam, who has lived there with her husband and two small children since 2003: "Thinking they would spend a few weeks in Jordan at the most, they left with the clothes on their backs and ended up in this tent 50 miles from the border with Iraq, surrounded craggy desert as far as the eye can see. They've been here ever since. The tents are of a thick canvas held together by steel poles and reinforced on the inside with plastic sheets and military-style blankets. Most don't have electricity. Residents bring buckets of water stored in raised communal tanks. Inside Miriam's tent, the smell of a small gas heater fills a room that's dark and stuffy, even in the middle of the day. Since the camp is in the middle of the desert, there's very little to do. "Just sitting here, we've become bored and mentally tired," Miriam says. People in the camp have stopped leaving their tents, she says, and the makeshift school and handicraft activities that kept people occupied have stopped due to a lack of will and lack of funding. "Even a prisoner knows how long his sentence will be," says Miriam. She says she fights depression, and her children frequently face infections and skin disorders from the harsh living conditions. Her three-year-old son, Maan, who was born in the camp, has lesions on his legs and his head was shaved due to a skin disorder. As Miriam speaks, the wind shakes her tent's soft walls. The floor is covered with heavy blankets, to soften the uneven terrain. The tent is not solid enough to keep out mice and scorpions, and the wind whips at the bottom edges of the tent. Still, the inside is spotless, with simple wood furniture neatly arranged. A crumpled page from a 2005 calendar is pinned to the blanketed wall. Miriam says she's afraid to cook during the winter. Two years ago, a six-year-old girl was killed in her tent when the wind blew the flames out from under the gas heater. Within minutes, several tents had burned to the ground. "I'm afraid a strong wind will come through and set the whole tent ablaze," she says. Miriam and her family had lived their entire lives in Iraq. She worked in a beauty salon, speaks in an Iraqi dialect, and has never known any other place as home. Her parents fled Haifa in 1948 and headed for Baghdad. She reels off the names of several family members who have been killed, including a cousin whose body parts were returned to the family, she says, in a plastic bag."

European Parliament resolution on refugees

Today the European Parliament passed a resolution (by 74-0) on refugees from Iraq. The full text is here, and the extracts as below:

The Resolution notes that "the security of third-country nationals, stateless persons and particularly the approximately 34 000 Palestinian refugees... in Iraq has drastically deteriorated, and "(1) Urges Iraq's bordering countries to abide by their legal duty immediately to admit refugees, particularly those stranded at their borders and belonging to specially targeted minorities such as stateless Palestinians... (6) Asks the Member States and the international community, as a demonstration of international burden-sharing, to contribute to the resettlement of Iraqi refugees and stateless persons, including the Palestinian refugees from Iraq stranded in the region."

At the end of the debate on the resolution, Commissioner Jan Figel told the House that an aid package of €10.2 million in humanitarian aid for victims of the Iraq crisis was being provided through the ECHO humanitarian aid office. €6.2m would be for those outside Iraq and €4m for those inside the country.

UNICEF talks about Palestinians on Syrian border

UNICEF Representative in Syria Anis Salem describes efforts to assist the Iraqi-Palestinian refugees stranded on the Iraq-Syria border. (Realaudio file)

3 Palestinians abducted

The Civil Network for Aiding Palestinian Refugees in Iraq reported on Tuesday night that three Palestinian refugees were abducted by an armed group in one of Baghdad’s districts. The three were Ibrahim Saleh Abu Abdoun (a lawyer), Ayman Baha’ Ed Deen Al Marzouqi, and Waleed Khalid Sadeq. (IMEMC news)

Palestinians doubt Iraqi government pledge to Rajoub

Jibril Rajoub told IRIN: "We handed over a letter from President Mahmoud Abbas to President Talabani in which we asked for better protection for Palestinians in Iraq and we got a clear message that Palestinians would be treated equally with Iraqis." He added that Talabani told him that attacks directed against Palestinians in Iraq were individual acts and not part of any wider strategy.

However, Palestinians in Iraq are not convinced that Talabani's pledge will change anything. "It is easy to say such things but very hard to implement them on the ground. Iraqi officials themselves have acknowledged that government security forces are highly infiltrated by militiamen and gangs," said Omran Khalid Wadi, a 44-year-old Palestinian refugee who lives in Baghdad. "The best thing is to help us to get out of this country, this would be highly appreciated."

Qussai Mohammed Saleh, 32, is a Palestinian truck driver who was born and married in Iraq. He now lives with his wife and two children in a tent in the al-Waleed border camp. "I call upon all Arab countries and good people in the world to pay attention to us and put an end to our ordeal. We've suffered a lot and we can't stand it any more. Of course we can't go back and depend on government protection. The government can't protect its own people, how can it protect us?" Saleh has been at al-Waleed since last December, after facing continual harassment from militants as well as from US and governmental forces soon after the fall of Saddam, he said. "The last [attack] really terrified us when Shia militia broke into an apartment in the Baladiyat area of Baghdad last year and kidnapped three [Palestinian] men. The following day we found their bodies dumped in the street. They were all killed execution-style."

Dalil al-Kasous, the Palestinian Charge d'Affaires in Baghdad, said nearly 190 Palestinians had been killed since 2003, and 40 others are still being held in Iraqi and US custody.

Islamic State of Iraq reiterates statement about Palestinians

The Islamic State of Iraq (formed by an alliance of groups including:al-Qaeda in Iraq, Islamic Army in Iraq, Mujahideen Army, Conquering Army, Ansar al-Sunnah, Twentieth Revolution Brigades, and Iraqi Union) issued a second statement regarding Palestinians. This statement is extremely worrying as it may incite more attacks against Palestinians who, it must be stressed, are not themselves connected to the Islamic State of Iraq or partisan in Iraqi sectarian conflict. The extracts are below:

"It has grieved us a great deal to see our Palestinian brothers who are living in Baghdad being killed and taken prisoner by the Persians, the grandsons of Ibn Sabaa, the Shiites, and the Jews. Not a single day passes that our Palestinian brothers are not captured or expelled from Baghdad. All this killing and detention is endorsed and encouraged by the current Shiite government of Maliki where the so-called coalition has called for all Arabs to be expelled from Iraq so that the Shiites may settle there. As the result, our Palestinian brothers are living between the hammer of Persian and Shiite militias and the anvil of hunger, exile, cold and the mistreatment from the neighboring countries that claim to be Islamic yet has closed its doors to them.

Because of this great catastrophe and in order to ease the tribulation of our Palestinian people, the Islamic State in Iraq, as a directive from the Amir of the Islamic State, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, may Allah protect him, calls the Palestinians to come and reside in the cities of the Islamic State, may Allah grant it victory, and live under the protection of the State's soldiers and defenders.

This was emphasized by the commander of Believers in his last audio speech when he said “And I, today, out of the responsibility cast upon me, I call all Palestinians and their relatives to go come to the Islamic State of Iraq especially to Anbar, Salahuddeen and Diyala where many houses, farms and gardens split by rivers have been prepared for them and guarded by the men of the Islamic State. These lands were taken as booty with the help of Allah from the Shiites. So be cheerful my brothers, Allah has exchanged your hardships with ease with His might and the blood of the Martyrs.”

Moreover, the Islamic State in Iraq promises to avenge the deaths of the Palestinian sons who are killed, taken prisoners and exiled by the Persian and Shiite militias. And we say to our brothers, we swear by Allah, you are always in our hearts and our eyes, the Jihad will not prevent us from supporting and defending you and for from Allah comes help and guidance." (released by the al-Fajr Media Centre, linked to the Islamic Army in Iraq)

Jazeera interviews Lamani

Al-Jazeera interviewed Mokhtar Lamani, the former representative of the Arab League in Iraq who resigned last week protesting the absence of an Arab will to help Iraqis. On Palestinians he said: "The most important detail on this issue is that no Palestinian ever came to me while in Baghdad asking for protection in order to continue living in Iraq. In fact, all of them came to me asking for the league's help to get them out of Iraq to any Arab country. The reason for that is they [Palestinians] hold travel documents not passports. Most countries do not recognise this type of documents and require a proper passport to grant an individual a visa. We did raise the issue with Iraqi officials, they told us that everybody in Iraq is a target, not only the Palestinians."

Rajoub in Irbil

Jibril Al-Rajoub told reporters in Irbil that the Iraqi government had taken a decision that Palestinians would receive the same treatment as Iraqis, but for "naturalization, since the issue is closely related to our return (to Palestine) and the resolutions by the Arab League." He said that Talabani had agreed to establish a mechanism linking the Palestinian community, the embassy and the presidential bureau to achieve an element of safety and stability for Palestinians in Iraq.

On the key issue of evacuating Palestinians to Kurdistan he said: "Resettling Palestinians in Iraqi-Kurdistan, which is dear to us, is not at all considered.. neither an intention nor on the Palestinian agenda. I neither discussed such a matter with Al-Talabani, nor with Iraqi-Kurdistan president Masoud Al-Barzani"

He stressed: "Palestinians have never been part of Iraq's domestic policy, neither were they part of the aggressive foreign policy (of the former regime), either against Iran or Kuwait, or even Kurds." Finally he noted that measures are underway to open a Fatah office in Kurdistan.

Rajoub says Talabani pledged to protect Palestinians

Jibril Rajoub, President Abbas' senior security adviser, told the AP that he asked Talabani during a meeting in Baghdad last Wednesday for better protection for Palestinians: "His Excellency assured me that the violations against Palestinians were individual acts and the government has promised to ensure protection and safe places for Palestinians in Iraq." (story carried in IHT and Jerusalem Post).

It is unclear from Rajoub's statement whether Talabani has offered refuge for Palestinians in the Kurdish region, something many have been asking for. However an article in KurdishMedia.com today refers to: "the latest news from Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani's [office], offering the Palestinians refugees to Iraq, refuge, shelter and secure place in Southern Kurdistan [that is the Iraqi Kurdistan]." It is unclear whether this is statement is based on an official position/statement by Talabani, but what is worrying is that it continues: "The Palestinians have never been Kurdish friends; in fact, they have always stood against Kurds. Only two months ago their prime minister called Kurdistani Peshmargas "gangs" and the Palestinians have often fought on the side of the Iraqi army against Kurdistani people. Allowing these enemies to come and settle in Kurdistan is not a stupid mistake but treason." (see comments by KM readers)

A 2nd delegation headed by PLO Executive Committee member Dr Asa'ad Abdul Rahman also met with Talabani later in the week. The delegation also met with the deputy president, Adil Abdul Mahdi, and other officials. Reports say that the talks "focused on the protection [of Palestinians] and even possible evacuation to northern parts of the country."

73 more refugees at al-Waleed

73 new refugees have arrived at Al Waleed on the Iraq-Syria border over the last two days. More are reported to be following. The total of Palestinians at this border area has now reached 753, with 354 stuck in no-man's land and 399 remaining on the Iraqi side. An abandoned school close to the border site has been opened to accommodate the new arrivals but is already full and any new arrivals will have to live in tents. In recent weeks, the Iraqi authorities have become increasingly uneasy with the growing numbers at the border and would like to see alternative solutions. There are signs they may force the group to leave the border area but currently there is no safe alternative for these refugees. UNHCR High Commissioner António Guterres is in Syria today on the final leg of a weeklong mission to the Middle East and has been discussing the plight of the Palestinians, who he says are "in extreme danger" with the Syrian authorities.

PLO delegation to Baghdad & Arbil

A Palestinian delegation left Amman for Baghdad today, led by Asaad Abdul Rahman, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee. They plan to meet with President Talabani to urge him to ensure the protection of the Palestinian community in Iraq. The delegation is carrying a message from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suggesting the transfer of Palestinians in Iraq to the northern Kurdish areas, where they could stay as 'guests' of the government of the autonomous Kurdistan province. The Palestinian team also planned to visit Arbil for a meeting with the leader of the Kurdish province Masoud Barzani for the same purpose.

Rocket attack kills Palestinian in Baghdad

Online Palestine reported that Ala Al Shalabi, was killed during a rocket attack that targeted the restaurant he works in in downtown Baghdad city. This site reports that Palestinians are being killed in Iraq on nearly a daily basis.

400 more flee to Syrian border

320 more Palestinians have just arrived at the Syrian border and another 80 are believed to have left Baghdad and are expected tomorrow. The total at the Syrian border is now over 1000. Updates here as soon as the details are clearer.

UNHCR ask Saudi to help

High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres met King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and other top Saudi Arabian officials in Riyadh at the weekend. He urged Saudi Arabia to take an active part in a UNHCR conference on the Iraqi humanitarian crisis due to be held in Geneva in mid-April. He stressed the plight of the 15,000 Palestinians in Iraq, calling on the Saudi leaders to use their influence to help find a solution for this tragedy. Guterres noted Saudi Arabia's long tradition of protecting asylum seekers and refugees. (photo of Al-Tanf camp)

Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi statement

Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, The Amir of "the Islamic State of Iraq" released an audio statement through al-Furqan media on Saturday. Along with announcing attacks against US soldiers and threatening Iran, it made a worrying reference to the Palestinian refugees in Iraq. Jihad Unspun website writes: "The Islamic State has completed a project of preparing tens of villages with modern housing, living facilities, farms and gardens for the Palestinian brothers who were forced to flee their homes by the Shia Iraq. Amir Baghdadi makes a call to all Palestinians who fled to neighboring countries to come back to their new homes in the Islamic State of Iraq especially to Anbar, Salahudeen and Diyala. [Al-Baghdad said] “Tens of towns have prepared the best of houses for you, from what Allah has given us from the Shiites, with farms and gardens and rivers crossing them, and defended by the men of the Islamic State.”"

The Palestinian community in Iraq is unarmed and not aligned with any of the waring groups in Iraq. However, this statement risks further marking out Palestinians as targets of sectarian attacks.

Iraq refused a PA delegation

Eric Silver reports for the Independent (in Jerusalem): "Ayman Abu Laila, a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Refugee Affairs, said the Iraqi government would not let them send a delegation to Baghdad to find a solution." [it is unclear when this request was made and refused]. "Officials in Ramallah said at least 180 Palestinians had been murdered in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein."

School opened in al-Tanf camp

UNRWA has opened a tented school for some 90 children at al-Tanf camp in the no-man's land between Iraq and Syria. The children are among 354 Palestinians who have been stranded at the border for nine months. The school's eight teachers are drawn from among the refugees themselves and underwent a week-long training course in Damascus last month. UNRWA's Syria director Panos Moumtzis called for a long-term solution: "International support is needed to find a solution for Palestinians from Iraq. They are facing a harsh winter in the desert." (AFP report)

Iraqi official admits Palestinians are targetted

Gulf News reports that Iraqi Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Lubaid Abbawi, said: "I met with [Palestinian] Ambassador Kassous and informed him that the Iraqi government is willing to provide safer places for Palestinian residents than the ones they are living in, which makes them vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Targeting Palestinians is part of the daily situation in which Iraqis live, although some cases might be addressed to Palestinians in particular."

Mohammad Al Natur, a Palestinian resident of Baladiyat said: "I hid my true identity while moving from Baladiyat district to other districts. A friend of mine helped me carry an Iraqi sport ID which doesn't mention the nationality of its holder. I also have a perfect Iraqi accent. I was born in Baghdad and I have lived here for 40 years." The misery among the people of Baladiyat district is seen at a first glance. Families live in two-room apartments. The majority of Palestinian residents sell sweets or work in restaurants selling felafel, chickpeas and beans.

Human Rights Watch urges Syria to reopen border

Human Rights Watch today called on the international community, and the US in particular, to provide financial assistance to Syria to help it host the Palestinian refugees, and to share the burden of this refugee problem by offering third-country resettlement opportunities to Palestinian refugees in Syria. Under customary international law, Syria has a legal obligation not to return refugees to persecution or serious harm, and to allow asylum seekers fleeing widespread human rights abuses and generalized violence to enter the country, at least temporarily, to be screened for refugee status. Human Rights Watch urged Syria to abide by its legal duty to admit immediately the stranded Palestinians at its border. “It’s hard to understand why Syria has provided refuge to nearly a million Iraqi refugees but is shutting the door on hundreds of Palestinians also fleeing Iraq,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The Syrian government’s mistreatment of these Palestinian refugees contrasts sharply with its declarations of solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

Consistent with respect for the right to return, Israel should respect requests by the UNHCR to allow those Palestinian refugees from Iraq with origins in Gaza to return to the Gaza Strip. Finally, Human Rights Watch called on the Iraqi government and the US-led Multi-National Forces in Iraq to take immediate steps to improve security for Palestinian refugees in Iraq and end discriminatory and abusive practices by Iraqi officials. Last year HRW published a detailed report, No Where to Flee, on the plight of the Palestinian community in Iraq.

Palestinians are main protection concern - UNHCR

Andrew Harper, head of UNHCR's Iraq support unit, said today, following a trip to the region, "The Palestinians... have to be our main protection concern as they are being targeted by various militias and they are being continually threatened and killed on a weekly basis. There is basically nowhere that we can send them at the moment."

Interview with Dhilal al-Kasous

Dhilal al-Kasous, the Palestinian Charge d'Affaires in Baghdad, told IRIN: "More Palestinians are leaving Baghdad on a daily basis due to ongoing violence against them and they are heading to the borders where they are suffering a lot. They are living in tents in very dismal conditions during this cold weather season, and have no access to potable water and medicine. Their children have left schools and they will be an uneducated generation in the future." He added that fewer than 15,000 Palestinians are now left in Baghdad where they do not venture out of their houses for fear of violent attacks by militia and harassment by Iraqi police.

Refugees speak of horrors in Baghdad

An article by Khaled Abu Toameh in the Jerusalem Post today says:"In 2006, more than 600 Palestinians were killed in [Baghdad]." Extracts from the article are below:

Nadia Othman, a 36-year-old Palestinian mother of three who fled to Jordan after 18 members of her family were murdered, said: "There are less than 10,000 Palestinians living in Iraq and most of them are afraid to walk out of their homes. My sister, who stayed behind, told me this week that she hasn't left her apartment in the Baladiyat suburb of Baghdad for the past three weeks for fear of being killed by Shi'ite militiamen. I'm very concerned for the safety of my mother and five brothers who have still not been able to escape from Iraq." Nadia's decision to leave her home came shortly after one of her brothers, Muhammad Rashid, was killed by Shi'ite gunmen. "The murderers stopped him in the street, asked for his ID documents, and when they saw that he was a Palestinian refugee, they immediately fired three bullets at his head. On the same day, they kidnapped and murdered Farid Al-Sayed, chairman of the Palestinian-controlled Haifa Sports Club in Iraq."

Another Palestinian who fled Iraq and was recently reunited with his family in the West Bank told The Jerusalem Post. "This is a real genocide. Why isn't the international community doing anything to stop this? How come none of the Arab countries has even issued a statement condemning the atrocities?" He said Palestinians who were still living in Baghdad are so afraid that they are using forged documents to conceal their true identity. "It's very dangerous to be a Palestinian in Iraq," he said. "The murderers stop you in the street and ask you to say a few sentences. If they see that you have a Palestinian accent, they make you stand against the wall and shoot you. These are ruthless murderers." In the past few months, he added, he heard "horror" stories about Palestinians who were kidnapped and brutally tortured by the Shi'ite militiamen. "Some have had their ears and noses cut off," he said. "I saw them with my own eyes. The heads of some victims were severed and sent to their families. Many families have had their homes ransacked before they were forced to leave."

Zakariya Al-Agha, head of the PLO Refugees Department, said: "Just last week another four Palestinians were abducted and brutally murdered in Baghdad. Our people in Iraq are facing ethnic cleansing and this is a real tragedy." According to information gathered by Agha's department, some 100 Palestinians who were kidnapped in the past few months are still missing and presumed dead. In addition, the Iraqi authorities have arrested dozens of Palestinians for unspecified charges.

A Palestinian man who was released two weeks ago from prison in Iraq said his interrogators repeatedly accused him and all Palestinians of supporting Saddam Hussein's suppression of the Shi'ites over the past three decades. He had been kidnapped together with 40 Palestinians from the Amin neighborhood in Iraq. "When we arrived at the prison," he said, "the Shi'ite militiamen began shouting, 'We have brought the Palestinians, we have brought the terrorists!' After they beat us for hours, they took us for questioning. They kept asking, 'Why do you Palestinians love Saddam Hussein so much? Why did you take to the streets to protest against his execution? We want all the Palestinians out of Iraq or else we will finish off all of you.'"

Atef Udwan, minister for refugees affairs in the Hamas-led government, said his office was searching for a way to allow the Palestinians in Iraq to move to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "This requires a political solution," he said. "We need to persuade Israel to give these poor people permission to enter our territories. This is a purely humanitarian issue that must be addressed urgently."

125 more flee towards Syrian border

UNHCR reports on another two groups of Palestinians heading to the Syrian border, bringing the number there to about 700: "Another 50 made the hazardous journey from Baghdad to the border four days after 73 Palestinians traveled the same road following the temporary detentions of 30 Palestinian men by militia in the capital last Tuesday... also two buses carrying some 75 Palestinians left Baghdad Monday morning, but at least one of them was unable to make it to the border. The bus was reportedly forced to return to Baghad because roads were blocked by crowds during the religious celebrations for Muharram... A group of 356 has been in the no-man's land between Iraq and Syria since May, while the second group, which has now expanded to some 340 is stuck in El Waleed on the Iraqi side of the border... On Monday UNHCR and its NGO partners provided food, water, kerosene, hygienic items and medicine to El Waleed camp. The ICRC and local NGOs will be bringing more tents and other relief items today. A medical team visited the group on Sunday, but was unable to help one Palestinian man who died Sunday night from a severe asthma attack."

Abbas & Zibari talk at Davos

The Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zibari discussed with Palestinian President Mahmmud Abbas complaints of mistreatment for the Palestinians living in Iraq, at Davos today.

Brothers killed

WAFA, the Palestinian news agency reports that Two Palestinian brothers, Hosaam and Mohammed al-Tallaa', were killed in an attack carried out by an armed militia against the neighbourhood they live in.

73 more Palestinians arrive at Syrian border

UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told a press briefing in Geneva: "At least 73 frightened Palestinians have arrived in El Waleed, at the Iraq-Syrian border, after fleeing Baghdad earlier this week following the detention and release of 30 Palestinian men on Tuesday. Their arrival brings to 593 the number of Palestinians stuck at the Iraq-Syria border, many of them for months. Syria has denied them access and they refuse to return to Baghdad, where Palestinians have been the target of numerous attacks. UNHCR has not yet had a chance to talk to the newly arrived refugees, who arrived at the border on Wednesday night. Along with ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] and other partners, we are ensuring that enough food, water and relief items are on site. Additional tents are also being delivered. Conditions at the border are atrocious. It's cold. Clean water has to be trucked in. There is limited access to food. Tents are crowded and unhygienic. Tensions are high. The refugees feel very insecure and some report having been victimized by security officials near the border. The group is in a very vulnerable situation with no solution in sight.

Estimates of the number killed vary widely. In late December, the Palestinian embassy in Baghdad provided UNHCR with a list of 161 Palestinians killed in Baghdad since 2003. In a 20 January statement, the Head of Refugee Affairs for the Palestine Liberation Organisation stated that 520 Palestinians have been killed, and another 140 wounded by militias inside Iraq since March 2003. Since last month, targeted killings and attacks on the homes of Palestinians in the al-Baladiyat, al-Doura, al-Hurriya and al-Jadida neighbourhoods of Baghdad rose dramatically. UNHCR has received reports of least 34 Palestinians killed and five kidnapped over the past two months. There have been at least two attacks on Palestinian residential compounds over the past two months, including an armed assault on the Palestinian neighbourhoods in al-Baladiyat on 13 December in which at least nine Palestinians were reportedly killed and 20 wounded. We have several reports of kidnappings and murders of Palestinians, some of whose bodies were found with signs of torture. Death threats have increased. Harassment at work has prompted some to stop working, leaving them without a livelihood. With militia threats increasing, families are continually moving between existing Palestinian settlements and abandoned buildings or makeshift dwellings in Sunni-dominated areas less accessible to Shi'a militias. And many are trying to leave Iraq altogether."

Declaration launched in UK

The UK based Middle East Cultural Association and Iraq Solidarity Campaign have been monitoring the situation of the Palestinian community in Iraq for a few months on their Baqaa Camp blog, and today initiated a Declaration , signed by various organisations, calling for an end to the violence and protection of the Palestinians.

Dubai paper calls on Arab countries to help

Today's editorial in the Dubai-based Khaleej Times argues: "Syria’s stand is that it has done its bit by taking in some 250 Palestinians in May, and that it’s the other Arab nations’ turn now. There’s merit in the argument; this is a collective responsibility. The Palestinians in Iraq need all our attention. The cause being so dear, this here is a call of duty for the governments in the region; they cannot afford to look the other way."

More interviews concerning Tuesday's incidents

IRIN interviews and Iraqi police officer concerning detention of 17 men in al-Batawyen district: "There was sniper fire against a government building from the rooftop of the al-Batawyen house in which they [the Palestinians] were staying. But police later released them when they found them innocent." As regards detention of 13 men in al-Amin district the police officer said. "The second incident was just to check their legal documents." UNHCR said on Wednesday that what happened to the men during their abduction was unclear.

IRIN spoke to Khalid al-Qudsi, a 55-year-old Palestinian who lives in the west Baghdad neighbourhood of Iskan and whose relatives were among those arrested on Tuesday and who were heading to the Syrian border on Thursday. "I heard from my cousin yesterday night and he was really terrified. He told me that they can't stand it any more and that they are leaving for Syria with other families. He told me that they would prefer to live under the harsh conditions at the Syrian borders than to meet instant death in Baghdad. I have not heard from my daughter and her three kids who are stranded at the Syrian border. I last heard from her two months ago when she sent me a letter with a taxi driver. They were in a very bad situation and she said that one of her sons, who is seven years old, was sick."

Panos Moumtzis, head of UNRWA in Syria, asked Arab countries to help the Palestinians who have been stranded for months at the Iraqi-Syrian border: "We appeal to their common sense and generosity to allow them in. Having pregnant women, children and newborn babies there under snow and rain is no solution."

Interview with man abducted yestarday

The Washington post interviews one the fleeing Palestinians: The shouting in his Baghdad apartment building woke Luay Mohammed seconds before intruders broke down his door. The men, some wearing police uniforms, entered before dawn demanding identification cards, Mohammed recalled. They tore the doors off the closet, threw the television on the floor and hauled Mohammed and his two barefoot brothers outside to be blindfolded. They and 14 other men were taken to what they thought was a government office, where a man others kept calling "sir" spoke to their huddled group. "You are Palestinians. Why are you still living in Iraq?" Mohammed recalled the man saying. "You have 48 hours to leave." Within 24 hours, Mohammed was gone. The 36-year-old was among dozens of people who loaded their meager belongings onto buses at dawn Wednesday inside Baghdad's main Palestinian enclave in the Baladiyat neighborhood. They drove north toward the Syrian border, joining a growing exodus of Palestinians now following their familiar story line: an unwelcome people searching for a home... Iraqi officials said 17 Palestinian men were detained Tuesday for "investigation purposes" because they seemed suspicious, according to Brig. Gen. Saad Abdullah of the Interior Ministry. During the detention, the officials discussed steps to "get the approvals for them to be refugees in other countries," he said. The article also interviews another Palestinian who's wife was injured by a mortar last Ramadan.

Differing accounts about role of Mahdi Army

Aqeel Hussein reports for the Telegraph: Sheik Mahmoud al-Hassani, a spokesman for the Mahdi Army, said: "We are sure that all the Palestinians in Iraq are involved in killing the Shi'ite people and they have to pay the price now. They lived off our blood under Saddam. We were hungry with no food and they were comfortable with full bellies. They should leave now, or they will have to pay." (al-Hassani seems to be the leader of a fringe movement that broke away from Muqtada Sadr, so the Telegraph may be mistaken in calling him a spokesman for the Mahdi Army, which is anyway very diverse. Another report attributes "the final warning" to Palestinians in Iraq to leave the country within a month, or "pay the price" to "Muhammad al-Husseini, spokesman for Muqtada Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army". It is unclear which name is correct.)

Kareem Zakia, a 61-year-old Palestinian, said his son, Yeha Ahmed, was kidnapped and killed in the Karada area of Baghdad two weeks ago. "The kidnappers called me and told me that they had taken my son because he came from Palestine and all the Palestinians support the Sunni terrorists. I found my son's body the next day with many holes in his belly made by a drill." Ahmed Mahmood, 26, a Palestinian in Baladiat, said he had paid a ransom of nearly $6,000 to free his brother, Murad, 38. The kidnappers in Sadr City, a Shi'ite area of Baghdad, told him where to collect his brother, but he arrived to find his brother had been killed. "We found him dead with signs of torture on his body," Mr. Mahmood said. "They called us the next day and said, 'We killed your brother because all the Palestinians in Iraq love Saddam Hussein and this is what will happen to you and all your families.' " Capt. Sary Farhan, a police spokesman, said people had been arrested for the killings but later released. "All these criminals belong to Shi'ite militias and were released a few days after. They have strong backing in the government."

However the Palestinian Authority's envoy, Dalil al-Qassus, denied that the Mahdi Army have threatened Palestinians: "The Mahdi Army wouldn't act this way, since it is a confessional Islamic army and hence wouldn't harm its Palestinian brethren." He said he had "many contacts with Sadr's faction, including several parliamentarians... The Palestinians in Iraq are suffering in the same way as Iraqi citizens mainly through the instability and security problems as well as acts of aggression carried out by unknown armed group."

90 flee Baghdad after yesterday's abductions

UNHCR reports that "a group of up to 90 terrified Palestinian men, women and children fled Baghdad in two rented buses early Wednesday morning headed towards the Syrian border, a day after some 30 Palestinian men were taken from their apartments by unidentified uniformed men who later released them."

Seventeen Palestinian men from Baghdad's Hay El Nidal neighbourhood were forcibly taken from their homes early Tuesday morning and released seven hours later. Another 13 were reportedly detained in the Al Amin area near Baladiyat and released shortly thereafter. What happened to the men during their abduction remains unclear. But the men and their families were clearly traumatized by the ordeal and afraid to provide any details. All Palestinian families living in a Hay El Nidal apartment building rented by UNHCR had abandoned their homes by Wednesday. Some fled to other parts of the city, while others joined the group headed toward Syria.

The abductions caused great panic among the Palestinian community. Some Palestinians told UNHCR they "feared the attack of militias at any time." Many other Palestinians told UNHCR that they wanted to leave as well, but couldn't because they lacked proper documents, or because they still have family members in Baghdad who cannot go. "Of all the groups being targeted in Iraq, the Palestinians are the most vulnerable as they literally have nowhere else to flee, and in many cases have been denied travel documents," said Andrew Harper, the Geneva-based senior Iraq operations manager. "The international community must act now to help these people. A safe haven needs to be found immediately, outside Iraq."

Saleem al-Za'noun, Head of the Palestinian National Council, said the killing of Palestinian refugees in Iraq at the hand of armed militias may lead to genocide. He said that the world is raising no finger at this aggression which is carried out against the Palestinian refugees in public and at daytime. He also said that the Palestinian leadership demanded the Iraqi brothers to protect the Palestinian refugees in Iraq.

17 Palestinians kidnapped in Baghdad

Men allegedly wearing uniforms of the Iraqi security forces abducted a group of 17 Palestinians in Baghdad early on Tuesday, UNHCR said. Several uniformed men entered the building rented by UNHCR at 5 am, broke doors and windows and took away 17 Palestinian men but left women behind, the agency's spokesman Ron Redmond told reporters. Some of the Palestinians were released later on Tuesday, he said. But Redmond was unable to say how many and how they were released. "Palestinians are increasingly targeted for killings, kidnapping, harassment and other abuses," he said. "It's very difficult for Palestinians to move because of a lack of documentation." They were often unable to get the necessary paperwork to leave the country, Redmond said. "Many of those in Baghdad who have tried to leave have been turned back by militia." He continued: "It is urgent that international support is found to bring at least a temporary solution for Palestinians from Iraq." He noted that UNHCR had already tried, to no avail, to secure them entry into Jordan and Syria, return to the Palestinian territories with the permission of Israel, relocation to other Arab states, and resettlement outside the region. "At the same time, we continue to advocate for better protection of the Palestinian community inside Iraq. But under the present circumstances, return to Iraq is no option unless security is restored. Right now, it's an untenable situation for the Palestinians and it is deteriorating on a daily basis."

Motion in British Parliament

An Early Day Motion (EDM 709) has been initiated in the British Parliament by John Austin MP, and has been signed by 35 MPs so far: "That this House expresses its great concern for the safety and welfare of the Palestinian population in Iraq and for many of those who have fled; notes that since 2003, the Palestinian community in Iraq has faced escalating forms of insecurity, including evictions, discrimination, torture, kidnapping, targeted killings and shelling of Palestinian neighbourhoods, and that these attacks have come from both government forces and insurgents; draws attention to the numbers of Palestinians who have fled Iraq or who have been displaced internally; notes that borders with Jordan and Syria are now closed and that many refugees are stranded in makeshift, temporary refugee camps at Ruwayshid in Jordan, Al-Hol in Syria and in the border area of Iraq and Syria at Al-Tanf; notes that they are receiving little or no humanitarian aid or support and that their plight is desperate; asks the Government to urge the United Nations to intervene immediately to provide both aid and security; and calls upon the Department for International Development to give all possible assistance to UNHCR in this task and in its efforts to support the 20,000 Palestinians stranded in Baghdad."

Human Rights Watch comments

Bill Frelick, refugee policy director at the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Jordan and Syria are unwilling to take in Palestinian refugees, including more than 300 stranded in “no man’s land” on the Jordanian border in harsh desert conditions. He said, "They feel they’ve already paid their dues to Palestinian refugees."

Ismail Haniyeh's comments

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh today called on the Iraqis to unite, appealing for an end to sectarian bloodshed in the country. "We call for our brothers in Iraq to unite Iraq, and to unite the Iraqi people and to stop the shedding of Iraqi blood". He also said "We have almost 20,000 Palestinians living in Iraq facing assassinations, killings and kidnapping".

Zakaria al-Agha, head of refugee affairs for the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, said about 520 Palestinians in Iraq had disappeared over the past three years. Some were later found killed, with torture marks on their bodies, he added, “Who ever speaks the Palestinian accent in Baghdad is snatched and killed."

UNAMI HRO nov-dec report

The latest report by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq's Human Rights Office outlines the perilous situation of the Palestinians. See here for a document containing relevant clippings from all UNAMI reports since July 2005.

Killings, threats, intimidations, and kidnappings are becoming the norm for Palestinians in Iraq. Many of these actions are reportedly carried out by the militias wearing police or special forces uniform. Most of the victims are found dead or simply disappear. Sixteen Palestinians were kidnapped and 9 killed during the reporting period. HRO received unconfirmed reports that many victims were interrogated and killed in illegal detention centres run by militias. Many residents have reported receiving threatening letters demanding they evacuate their houses and many of the abandoned houses were later occupied allegedly by members of militias or their affiliates.

On 2 November, two individuals were killed in front of their parents by the Iraqi National Guard in Al Fadil area in Baghdad. On 27 November, the body of 72-year-old Tawfiq Abdul Khaliq was found bearing signs of torture. On 13 November, unidentified gunmen killed a female Palestinian in Al Mashtel area in Baghdad. Her house was occupied by militias and when she asked MNF-I for help, the militia torched her house before departing. Other Palestinians were targeted and kidnapped for ransom and then released or killed. On 30 November, a taxi driver, was kidnapped at the Al Habibia area and then released. A shopkeeper was taken from his shop in Al Mashtel area on 2 December. The kidnappers came in one police and three civilian cars. His body was found on 7 December at the Baghdad morgue.

Attacks on the Palestinian compound in Baladiyat in Baghdad for instance are frequent in order to compel Palestinians to leave their dwellings and their belongings. Baladiyat is located in the midst of a Shiite area and threats are usually followed by small arms fire and mortar attacks. In the past two months, at least six incidents of organized attacks on the Palestinian compound have been recorded, such as on 26 November, when a group of gunmen stormed the quarter and demanded Palestinians leave or be shot. On 9 December, three mortar shells landed in Al Baladiyat wounding ten. On 13 December, mortar attacks continued to rain on the compound for three hours, killing up to 11 and injuring more. There were reports that the area was cordoned off by police, according to some accounts, and by militias according to others, thus preventing injured Palestinians to reach hospitals.

HRO and UNHCR maintain regular contacts and continue to monitor the situation of Palestinians. On at least two occasions in December, UNAMI had to call upon MNF-I to intervene while the Palestinian compound was being attacked. The police and MNF-I were reported to have arrived after the attacks had ended, and briefly patrolled the area. UNHCR reported that 350 Palestinians from Iraq (who recently left Baghdad) remain near the Al Tanf border crossing between Iraq and Syria in a makeshift refugee camp located in the no man's land between both borders. They have been denied entry by the Syrian government and they refused to return to Iraq. As a result, they have been living in increasingly desperate circumstances for the past six months. There are 131 Palestinians still within Iraq near Al Tanf border. Similarly, at the border with Jordan, 7 Palestinians remain between the Jordanian and the Iraqi border.

First Palestinians arrive in Canada

UNHCR reports on the resettlement of one family in Ottawa, part of a group of 63 Palestinian refugees that the Canadian government has agreed to resettle from Ruweished camp.

UNHCR confident of resettling the 97 Palestinians on Jordan-Iraq border

UNHCR said they were confident about the resettlement of 97 Palestinian refugees from Iraq who are in Ruweished refugee camp, 50 km from the Jordanian-Iraqi border, after 49 Palestinians left the tent camp for Canada last month (most had been in the camp for more than 3 years). "UNHCR will aggressively look for resettlement opportunities for the refugees in Ruweished and once that has been achieved the camp will be closed permanently," said Rana Sweis, Public Information Assistant at UNHCR, Jordan. UNHCR Representative in Amman, Robert Breen said the UN agency was also exploring options to have the refugees relocated in Jordan in a "less hostile environment. The refugees continue to suffer from extreme cold in winter and extreme heat in summer; the real solution is to have them moved to a third country, but in the meantime we want to make their life better."

Palestinians at funeral appeal to Hamas

The Baghdad correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported that a condolence meeting was held for 30-year-old Ahmad Ma'lah, a Palestinian murdered by the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia in the al-Baladiyat section of Baghdad two days earlier. At the meeting the father of the murdered man – who was killed after the Jaysh al-Mahdi abducted him from the barbershop where he worked – called on Hamas to take a clear stand on the torture and murder to which Palestinians have been subjected in Iraq.