Syria struggles with (a million) Iraqi refugees

[struggle4progress]

Hamza Hendawi, Associated Press
Published: Tuesday, February 06, 2007

DAMASCUS, Syria — .... The exodus — one million to neighboring Syria alone, according to the U.N. — is another unforeseen byproduct of the 2003 Iraq invasion. When it might peak, nobody knows, but if it continues at its present rate, the consequences for the region would be profound.

Iraqis now make up more than 5 percent of Syria’s population, the U.N. refugee agency says. Jordan says its 700,000 Iraqis have swollen its population by 12 percent, and its officials say they have already moved to cut off the flow. So has Egypt, with 130,000 Iraqi newcomers.

But Syria’s doors remain open and the new arrivals have transformed some Damascus neighborhoods to such an extent that Iraqi-accented Arabic is all that’s heard ...

Syria is poor and lacking in jobs, and many Syrians grumble about the newcomers pushing up the cost of food and housing. The U.N. refugee agency says it is struggling to help the newcomers, many of whom are poor and running out of the meager funds they brought ...

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=9c24a90a-f3af-4679-ad54-d033f86fd1e1&k=47129