Middle East News
Refugee situation in Egypt, Syria and Jordan comes under review
Mar 10, 2007, 11:47 GMT
Damascus - Officials from the United States and United Nations were expected to travel to Egypt, Syria and Jordan on Sunday to review the plight of refugees in these countries, the US embassy in Damascus said in a statement.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Ellen Sauerbrey and a senior official from the UN High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) were to spend five days in the region.
They were expected to study the efforts of international agencies and non-governmental organisations working to meet the needs of refugees.
The two were also due to meet government officials for talks on the state of refugee protection, assistance and resettlement in the three countries.
It is estimated that around 1.5 million Iraqis have sought refuge in the region. About 40,000 Iraqis arrive monthly, according to the Damascus office of the UNHCR.
Sauerbrey's visit comes as a conference attended by officials from the US, Syria and Iran is underway in Iraq.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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