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."