VZCZCXRO7199
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1603 1361455
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161455Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1188
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 001603 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CAIRO AND AMMAN FOR REFCOORDS, STATE FOR PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL IZ
SUBJECT: SUDANESE REFUGEES IN ANBAR ASK FOR RESETTLEMENT 
 
REF: 2006 BAGHDAD 4465 
 
¶1. (SBU) This is an action cable.  See paragraph 6 for action. 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Darfourian refugees camped in west Anbar 
continue to ask for third country resettlement.  While UNHCR 
and MNF-I are still meeting most of the refugees' basic 
needs, morale is low after two years living in precarious 
security and under harsh weather conditions in the desert. 
UNHCR has referred the caseload to the US Refugee Admissions 
Program (USRAP).  End Summary. 
 
¶3. (U) On April 30, Embassy Refugee Coordinator (RefCoord) 
accompanied UNHCR for a visit to a group of 137 Darfourian 
refugees camped 47 miles east of the Iraqi-Jordanian border. 
The refugees left Baghdad and headed to Jordan in May of 
2005, but Jordanian authorities denied them admissions into 
the country.  They camped at the border itself until Iraqi 
patrols forced them out of the area in June of 2005.  Rather 
than returning to Baghdad, the refugees relocated to their 
present location, where they have remained for the past two 
years. 
 
¶4. (U) Refugee leaders confirmed RefCoord's assessment that 
the refugees' living conditions had not changed substantially 
since a joint UNHCR-Embassy Baghdad team visited them in 
November of 2006 (reftel).  There are no medical facilities 
anywhere near the camp.  Education for the approximately 40 
children in the group is limited to two hours of non-formal 
instruction a day.  UNHCR's implementing partner has built 
better latrines, but water and sanitation conditions are 
still below minimum standards in disaster response (a.k.a. 
Sphere standards):  the latrines lack water access points 
nearby, and there are no shower or bathing areas.  The 
refugees stated that their nutritional needs were being met, 
and were grateful for the periodic MNF-I supply of bottled 
water.  Some of the tents were very worn down (Note: UNHCR 
committed to replace some of the tents as soon as possible. 
End note.) 
 
¶5. (U) RefCoord noticed that the refugees' morale had fallen 
significantly since November.  The refugee leaders complained 
to UNHCR about the lack of progress in finding a solution to 
their situation.  Privately, one of the refugees mentioned 
that there had been two suicide attempts in the last six 
months, and that many suffered from depression.  The refugees 
also expressed concern about their lack of security.  The 
refugees' vulnerability in this volatile province was 
underscored last February, when the camp's water deposit was 
hit three times during a shoot-out between insurgents and 
Coalition Forces in the proximity of the camp. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Action request:  Embassy requests an update on the 
status of UNHCR's referral of the group to the US Refugee 
Admissions Program (USRAP).  Should the Department accept 
UNHCR's referral, Embassy encourages the Department to 
respond favorably to posts' reftel recommendation to pursue 
the use of Camp Korean Village as a processing site for the 
group. 
CROCKER