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Viewing cable 08DAMASCUS442, SCENE SETTER FOR AMB FOLEY: EBBS AND FLOWS OF REFUGEE ASSISTANCE/RESETTLEMENT IN SYRIA

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08DAMASCUS442 2008-06-19 14:20 2011-08-24 16:30 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Damascus
VZCZCXYZ0006 
PP RUEHWEB 

DE RUEHDM #0442/01 1711420 
ZNR UUUUU ZZH 
P 191420Z JUN 08 
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5101 
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 7336 
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 5590 
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0878 
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 4936 
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 3662 
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY 
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY 
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY 
RUEHGVA/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0625 
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0428
UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000442 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/ELA; ANKARA FOR FOLEY; AMMAN FOR NUTZMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL SY IZ
SUBJECT: SCENE SETTER FOR AMB FOLEY: EBBS AND FLOWS OF REFUGEE ASSISTANCE/RESETTLEMENT IN SYRIA 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Since your October 2007 visit to Damascus, 
there have been significant changes, both positive and 
negative, with respect to how international organizations and 
the SARG are coping with the Iraqi refugee population. 
Assistance continues to flow in and the UN country team, in 
coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and 
international NGOs, has stepped up programs and assistance to 
Iraqi refugees. Resettlement of the most vulnerable Iraqis 
to the United States, as well as other countries, continues 
at a swift pace and UNHCR and IOM expect to hit resettlement 
targets before the end of the fiscal year. At the same time, 
a recent UN study and anecdotal evidence suggests life for 
Iraqi refugees in Syria has become more difficult than in 
previous years. Refugee anxiety is up over ever-changing 
visa requirements, with SARG ambiguity on the matter fueling 
concern. Global fuel and food inflation has been exacerbated 
by the SARG's recent decision to significantly reduce diesel 
subsidies. The resulting across-the-board increase in prices 
for nearly all goods and services has strained the refugee 
community's dwindling resources, causing additional stress on 
families and prompting some to return to Iraq. End Summary. 
 
 
------------- 
Assistance 
----------- 
 
2. (SBU) UNHCR & INGOs: UNHCR staffing and organization 
increased significantly from 2007 to 2008. Additionally, 
UNHCR implemented new registration strategies, cash and food 
assistance aid, and sought to establish more clinics and 
registration centers throughout Syria. 
 
3. (SBU) As of June 2008, UNHCR had registered 203,982 Iraqis 
and is targeting 300,000 by the end of the year. UNHCR 
officials admit that the target is ambitious, and anticipate 
actually registering about 270,000 by year's end. 
 
4. (SBU) As of April, three major INGOs had received SARG 
permission to operate in Syria ) International Medical Corps 
(IMC), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and Premier Urgence. 
IMC has opened one clinic, with plans to open two more in the 
coming months. The DRC and Premiere Urgence have also 
started operations in support of UNHCR community services and 
education programs. More than a dozen other INGOs are 
actively exploring options to work with Iraqi refugees in 
Syria, and the SARC's newly drafted MOU on NGOs -- which 
dropped some of the more onerous requirements -- may 
facilitate their entry into Syria. UNHCR, accompanied by 
other members of the UN country team, now conducts monthly 
coordination meetings with all organizations involved in 
Iraqi refugee relief efforts. These meetings serve as an 
excellent forum to share information, dispel myth and 
direct/deconflict aid assistance. 
 
5. (SBU) UNHCR and WFP food distribution to Iraqi refugees 
was interrupted in April when the main distribution site in 
central Damascus was closed. UNHCR representatives reported 
that the SARG had informed them near the start of the year 
that they were looking to reclaim the land being used by the 
distribution center for one of the Syrian First Lady's 
"Discovery Zone" projects - play areas for children. UNHCR 
was able to continue food distribution outside of Damascus 
and plans to reopen a new food distribution center, to be 
located at the current registration center in Duma, sometime 
before the end of June. While the new site will be less 
convenient for Iraqis to reach, UNHCR representatives believe 
a combined registration/food distribution site will, in 
effect, offer &one stop shopping8 for Iraqis seeking 
assistance. The addition of a food distribution center to 
the Duma registration center adds to the already substantial 
development of the registration complex. Over the past six 
months the Duma registration center has undergone a 
metamorphosis, with the creation of child-friendly spaces, a 
snack bar, and additional interview and meetings rooms. 
UHNCR has been able to create a space that provides a measure 
of dignity for waiting refugees while increasing the 
efficiency and number of UNHCR staff at the same time. Wait 
times for registration continue to decline, with the time it 
takes for the completion of registration hovering around two 
months, down from the six-month wait one could have expected 
in early 2007. 
 
6. (SBU) As many Iraqi refugees have melted discreetly into 
Syria's urban neighborhoods, UNHCR has sought to expand its 
outreach activities and contact those individuals who might 
not be aware of assistance options. This year, UNHCR also 
established a mobile registration program in an effort to 
assist refugees with minimal ability to travel to the Duma 
registration center. Additionally, there are currently 47 
outreach workers (drawn from the Iraqi community) working 
with UNHCR in greater Damascus to locate and provide 
assistance to Iraqis who have yet to register with UNHCR. 
Among the most vulnerable, nearly 250 survivors of 
gender-based sexual violence have been identified in 2008. 
 
7. (SBU) Direct assistance from UNHCR is now available in two 
forms: 
 
Cash Assistance: 
 
- In December 2007, UNHCR started distributing ATM cards to 
Iraqi refugees that were identified as urgently needing 
financial assistance. To date, 13,245 individuals are 
receiving financial assistance through the ATM card system. 
 
Food and Non-Food Item Assistance: 
 
- UNHCR in partnership with WFP have expanded their criteria 
for food and non-food item assistance to include over 90 
percent of registered refugees as of the beginning of 2008. 
Already, 128,357 people in Damascus, Aleppo, and Hassakeh 
have received food assistance since early 2008. 
(Note: Refugees residing in Syria since before 2003 are not 
eligible to receive this assistance. End note.) 
 
8. (SBU) Education: The SARG claims to provide free education 
to all Iraqis in Syria. 
 
-Though numbers vary and the school year has ended, an 
estimated 50,000 Iraqi children are registered in Syrian 
schools. Many Iraqi children are either not enrolled or are 
dropping out of school because of a lack of documentation 
(especially for grades 7-12), overcrowded schools, financial 
difficulties, problems with the Syrian national curriculum or 
psychological trauma. 
 
-In 2008, UNHCR's Education Program established new 
partnerships with local and international partners while 
remaining committed to supporting the Ministry of Education, 
its largest partner for education. 
 
9. (SBU) Health Care: UNHCR,s main implementing partner to 
date is the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC). In 2008, UNHCR 
signed an agreement with the SARC for over USD 5,256,543 for 
emergency assistance to Iraqi refugees, and another agreement 
for health care. SARC operates 11 clinics across Syria, with 
seven located in the greater Damascus area. 
 
-Health care continues to be the biggest drain on UNHCR 
budgeting, as medical assistance is provided to many with 
chronic illnesses or that require costly operations -) 
assistance not traditionally provided to refugee populations. 
 
-In March 2008, UNHCR and WHO conducted a joint program for 
30 psychiatrists to "train-the-trainers" to identify refugees 
with mental health problems. This program is expected to 
support 70 primary health care clinics in providing mental 
health care for Iraqi refugees. 
 
-All refugees who apply for a UNHCR registration appointment, 
or who are already registered with UNHCR are eligible for 
subsidized health care at SARC clinics. 
 
------------ 
Resettlement 
------------ 
 
10. (SBU) UNHCR: In April, DHS switched to a Monday-Friday 
work week to give UNHCR an additional work-week day to use 
the shared interviewing rooms. UNHCR continues to be 
interested in moving DHS interviews to their Duma 
registration center, but this location does not meet USG 
security standards. In the mean time UNHCR is conducting 
(limited) construction at their Kfar Souseh location to add 
interview rooms and increase processing capacity. 
 
11. (SBU) Panel Physicians: Post organized monthly 
coordination meetings improved case flow between IOM and the 
physicians. Distribution of cases between physicians is now 
more equitable and IOM is giving caseload projections farther 
out. Operational issues (typos on documentation, scheduling 
extended families together) are being resolved. 
 
12. (SBU) DHS: Modifications to DHS interview booths in 
April 2008 improved the quality of interviews. The current 
"circuit ride" is on target to interview 580-600 cases by 
July 9. Next circuit ride is scheduled for Aug 9 ) Sept 20, 
although these circuit riders have not yet been granted 
visas. 
 
13. (SBU) Over the last six months, IOM Damascus standardized 
its processes and reports that all staff members are now 
fully trained on WRAPS and all applicant information is 
processed into WRAPS. IOM has prepared and scheduled all 
cases for the current DHS circuit ride through July 9. 
However, no cases for the DHS circuit ride beginning August 9 
are ready, as IOM is waiting for cases from UNHCR. IOM 
currently has six of its IOM Cairo staff working on the IOM 
Damascus caseload. Additionally, IOM Damascus provided four 
staffers to IOM Amman to assist with Amman's casework and 
interviewing. IOM Damascus established better interaction 
with air carriers to guarantee flights for resettlement, as 
all individuals departing in June and July have reservations 
while August and September departures are almost all 
reserved. IOM would like to use the summer "slow" season to 
provide additional management training for team leaders, with 
Amman being preferable to Cairo as a training site due to its 
proximity. By the end of the fiscal year, IOM expects that 
roughly 4,000 Iraqis will have departed Damascus for the 
United States. 
 
-------------- 
Iraqi Returns 
---------------- 
 
14. (SBU) The number of Iraqis returning home has increased 
this year, although the determining factors behind their 
decision to leave Syria seem largely financially-based. A 
UNHCR flash survey of 110 Iraqis at their Damascus 
registration center revealed that 46.1 percent of respondents 
justified their return to Iraq because they felt they could 
no longer afford to live in Syria. 
 
15. (SBU) Visa expiration is also a factor in Iraqi returns. 
The SARG and the top levels of the MFA have been amenable on 
the issue of visa extensions, especially in the cases of 
parents with children attending school in Syria. The SARG 
recently began issuing one to three month residency visas to 
permit such families to remain over the summer and until the 
beginning of the next school year. While there seems to be 
support for Iraqi refugees at the higher levels of the MFA, 
with senior SARG officials giving UNHCR assurances that there 
will be no forced repatriation of Iraqi refugees, reports 
indicate that lower level employees at points of entry are 
turning away Iraqi visa applicants despite SARG policy. 
UNHCR reports a rising anxiety among Iraqi refugees on the 
issue of visa renewals, and the possibility that the SARG 
might not honor its commitment to continue to allow Iraqis to 
maintain a legal presence in Syria. 
 
16. (SBU) UNHCR survey data suggests that refugees seeking to 
return to Iraq due to a perceived improvement of the security 
situation in Iraq accounted for 14 percent of respondents. 
UNHCR remains prepared to facilitate voluntary returns, but 
is not encouraging or promoting returns at this time. 
 
------------------------------- 
Palestinian Iraqi Refugees 
 
------------------------------- 
 
17. (SBU) Resident representatives of donor countries 
continue to seek a solution for the nearly 2,000 Palestinians 
in Al-Walid and 750 in Al-Tanf. According to UNHCR, neither 
the Al-Tanf nor the Al-Walid camps have sufficient 
infrastructure for sustained human settlement. Chile 
resettled 116 Iraqi Palestinians living in the Al-Tanf camp 
in April and May. The Swedish government interviewed several 
Palestinian refugees in Al-Tanf in May, and will likely 
accept a similar number as Chile for resettlement in Sweden. 
While resettlement to a third country remains an option, it 
would be preferable for the Syrian government to permit these 
Iraqi Palestinians to settle elsewhere within Syria. 
 
CORBIN