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.