First death among Palestinian refugees on border

Almost 2,000 Palestinians who fled violence in Iraq and are stranded at the Iraqi-Syrian border lack medical care, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). One person, identified as a priority in need of treatment, died on 13 November, the agency said.

The UNHCR said about 11 children at al-Waleed camp are suffering from leukaemia, spinal injury, skin diseases and intestinal problems. None is able to obtain care inside the country.

“There are a disproportionate number of seriously or critically ill among al-Waleed's population,” said Anita Raman, associate reporting officer, UNHCR Iraq Operation. “Cancer, heart conditions and disability [due to health conditions, congenital defects and violence] are relatively common.”

On 13 November, UNHCR recorded the first death among the refugees in the Al-Waleed camp. Akram Mohammed Rizq al-Assaf, a Palestinian, died of a heart attack. He had been identified as needing treatment outside Iraq. He is survived by a family of five living in the same camp.

“In June, I witnessed children in the camp suffering from heart conditions and severe congenital defects, and recovering from injuries sustained in mortaring of their neighbourhoods,” Raman noted.

About 430 Palestinians are living in al-Tanf refugee camp on no-man's-land between Iraq and Syria, and another 1,560 have sought shelter in al-Waleed camp on the Iraqi side of the border, according to UNHCR.

“Water is brought in by tanker and sanitation services have been problematic, the camp is infested with rats and snakes, and access to limited healthcare services is several hours away,” said Raman. “Trauma is common among camp residents, particularly children; parents have also stated that they cannot leave their children alone to work because they are frightened after fleeing Baghdad.”

Ahmed Muffitlak, a spokesman for the Baghdad-based Palestinian Muslims Association (PMA), told IRIN that about 40 Palestinians arrive at the border camps weekly, carrying few personal belongings.

“People are sick and living in conditions of poverty; a situation that has to be taken care of urgently. We appeal for the understanding of other countries.”

Muffitlak added that all children in the camps as well as the elderly are malnourished, lack medication and sleep in the desert. “There are very few who support these groups and despite UNHCR trying to offer assistance to the community, there is still a lot to be done to save them and bring minimum dignity to their lives.”

UNHCR has made a global appeal for somewhere to resettle the sick children, but so far only Chile and Sudan have indicated that they might host some of them.

“Most essentially, Iraq's Palestinians are very much in need of a durable solution: a safe place free from violence and discrimination, where they can rebuild their lives,” Raman said.

“General insecurity is continuing to push more families to the border, where UNHCR and its partners are constantly working to protect, assist and register this vulnerable group.”

Muffitlak told IRIN many Palestinians have paid huge bribes to get fake Iraqi National Identification Cards, hoping they would be protected by Iraqi nationality.

“Each ID card costs about US$10,000. Most of the Palestinians remaining in Iraq don’t have enough money to make the fake cards and are forced to move according to security problems from north to south and vice-versa,” he said.

“It is not known how many Palestinians have been killed in Iraq since the US-led invasion began in 2003 but they are in their hundreds and most of them were killed by militants who were against Saddam Hussein’s regime,” Muffitlak added.

as/ar/mw