|
|
 U.N. workers in Jordan are setting up border camps to accommodate thousands of refugees expected to flee Iraq in the event of a U.S.-led invasion, the Reuters news service reports. The camps could handle a maximum of 100,000 refugees -- nothing like the two million refugees Jordan received during the 1991 Gulf War. "I have to stress that Jordan will not accept large numbers of refugees as it has in the past,” said Jordan's Prime Minister Ali Abu al-Ragheb. “Jordan has suffered from this a lot."
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warns that as many as 600,000 refugees could surge across Iraq's borders into neighboring countries, with about half going to Iran, and the rest to Turkey, Syria and Jordan.
World Vision is positioning supplies in several countries bordering Iraq. The supplies, to be distributed with the help of agencies already working in the region, include food, medicine, blankets, winter boots, winter clothing (including 12,500 items of baby and infant clothing) and 7,000 collapsible water containers.
"Preparedness provides the essence of an effective program,” said World Vision relief manager Ton van Zutphen. “We are working on four fronts -- in Iran, Syria, Turkey and Jordan -- to ensure that we can respond to the need. We have to try and anticipate where refugees are going to go and be ready to help them wherever they are."
World Vision is part of a Jordan-based consortium of non-governmental organizations seeking to share information and coordinate emergency-preparedness activities in the region. Other consortium members include: International Medical Corps, Mercy Corps, International Rescue Committee and Save the Children.
|  |
|
