427 Palestinian refugees stuck between Jordan and Iraq

The UNHCR announced yesterday that more than 400 Palestinian refugees fled from Iraq are stuck on the border with Jordan, and called on the countries of the region, including Israel, to provide support.

Some 1800 persons are living in refugee camps in West Jordan, in the neutral area on the Iraqi borders. A statement issued by the UNHCR said that among those are 427 Palestinians. The statement added that "living conditions in the border camps are deteriorating continuously with the approach of winter. It also indicated that Jordan which receives the greatest number of refugees in the world contributed to improving the situation and that other countries should also make efforts to help.

The UNHCR stressed that most of the Palestinians want to head for the West Bank, Gaza and Israel and that it is ready "to discuss this issue with Israel and the Palestinian authority."

After the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Baghdad, in April, the Jordanian authorities permitted the entry of 300 Palestinian refugees who were stick in the neutral area. Hundreds of Palestinians were expelled from their houses in Baghdad on April 9th.