REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS
HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES,
2000
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II. Assistance activities
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F. Regional activities in Central Asia, South-West Asia, North Africa and the Middle East
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90. In the Middle East, UNHCR assisted some 130,000 refugees who live for the most part in urban settings, as well as small camp-based refugee populations in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the Syrian Arab Republic. Although the search for durable solutions has produced some successes in 2000, the Middle East continues to generate and, at the same time, to receive refugees. As a result of the situation in Iraq, an increasing number of Iraqis are leaving their country and seeking asylum in third countries. Moreover, the situation in the West Bank and Gaza has provided a new cause for tension in the region. During 2000, UNHCR has succeeded in resettling some 7,000 refugees from the Middle East region. For many refugees in this region, there are only very limited opportunities for voluntary repatriation and local integration. Since mid-1999 by the end of February 2001, some 19,000 Iraqis have voluntarily repatriated, mainly from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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Document Type: Report
Document Sources: General Assembly
Subject: Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 12/09/2001