© UNHCR/S.Malkawi

Last month UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres launched an inter-agency appeal for US$280 million to support Iraqi refugees living in a dozen states worldwide.

The Regional Response Plan for Iraqi Refugees brings together the plans of 40 international organisations and NGOs who are supporting Iraqi refugees in Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iran and the six Gulf states.

"I appeal to donor governments to recognise the critical needs of Iraqi refugees… Particularly those who are becoming more vulnerable by the day," Guterres said in a statement.

This new appeal highlights the needs of more than 190,000 Iraqi refugees registered with UNHCR in the region; the majority live in Syria and Jordan. It also includes a number of programmes that support the education and health systems of these host countries.

Announcing the appeal two days after returning from a three-day trip to Iraq, the High Commissioner noted that "the new government represents an enormous opportunity for Iraq, but also for our work. I hope we are marking the beginning of the end of the displacement chapter in Iraq."

The majority of Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan fled from their embattled country more than three years ago. Many have found it hard to find work, making them reliant on dwindling savings and the support offered by international aid organisations and local NGOs.

UNHCR's registration database of Iraqi refugees shows that 34 per cent are considered to be vulnerable, including thousands of people with critical health problems and a significant number of female-headed households. One of the worst consequences of this poverty is the number of Iraqi refugee children who have left school to find casual work to help feed their families.

Although almost 90,000 refugees have returned to Iraq in the past three years, the rate of return has slowed recently and new asylum seekers continue to register with UNHCR in neighbouring countries. Indeed, UNHCR estimates that 60,000 Iraqi refugees are still in need of resettlement. The UK currently resettles a total of 750 refugees every year.

Guterres thanked the countries that have offered resettlement to Iraqi refugees, but in highlighting the continued friendship and solidarity offered by host governments to Iraqi refugees, he also warned that "the burden on host communities and host governments in the region is enormous. It is essential that the international community support humanitarian efforts to help the most vulnerable refugees."