Deputy PM, U.S. official discuss Iraqi refugees

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Deputy Prime Minister Rafie al-Issawi on Sunday discussed the situation of Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries with U.S. Department of State Senior Coordinator for Iraqi Refugees Ambassador James Foley. Today, Issawi received Foley in his Baghdad-based office and discussed with him means of providing medical services for Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, according to a statement released by Issawi’s office and received by IraqiNews.com. The two officials also tackled means of facilitating the return of Iraqis to their country following the remarkable improvement in security conditions, the statement noted. According to figures released by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), an estimated 4.4 million Iraqis have been displaced in the aftermath of the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion of their country. This number includes 2.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), while 2.2 million others left for neighboring countries, mainly Syria, Jordan and Egypt. According to UNHCR statistics, there are about 1.4 million Iraqis in Syria, more than 500,000 in Jordan and smaller figures in Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and the Gulf states.   SS (P)/SR 1