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Since the beginning of the war in Iraq the main focus has been, naturally, on the country Iraq and what happens within its borders. Many times it is often easy to forget all the refugees who have fled Iraq to other countries. Many families have been divided in this way, and too often it is the children who take the most damage.

In March earlier this year it was seven years since USA marched into Iraq. Since then, hundreds of thousands of refugees, many of them Assyrians, in desperation, fled Iraq to other countries that offer more or less security. One of these countries is the Kingdom of Jordan, which borders Iraq to the east.

According to a day-to-date report from the news agency Inter Press Service, whose correspondent reports from the Jordanian capital Amman, describes the number of Assyrian refugees from Iraq who are in Jordan to be many thousands. The majority of these are stated to live in absolute poverty. It is also announced that among the refugees there are many who exhibit mental problems as a result of the trauma they suffered in Iraq, but also the experience of being forced to flee to a whole new unknown land.

As a refugee in Jordan you have few opportunities to make a living. The refugees who are registered through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, receive a card for asylum seekers. However, there is nothing said about the residency. This is required by regulation in Jordan in order to obtain some form of employment. As a result, it leads to the fact that the refugees cannot work legally, which ultimately affects them as they therefore do not have access to education and health care. Thus, there is high unemployment among the refugees.
Following the high unemployment rate are also reported on very terrible circumstances among the refugees. This is shown in the form as school drop-outs, domestic violence, trafficking and exploitation of the most vulnerable refugees.

Regrettably, it is also reported that the Assyrian refugees do not see any hope for the future, as do not see ability to return to Iraq and their native country. As many times before once have behold, it is the children who ultimately suffer most damage from these depictions. Innocent children, whose future spend an uncertain outcome.

Thomas Aydin
Assyrians Without Borders

Source: http://www.ipsnews.net