November 12, 07

NEWS / United States Humanitarian Assistance for Displaced Iraqis

* The U.S. Government has increased humanitarian assistance for Iraqis from
$43 million in 2006 to almost $200 million in 2007.
* Since 2003, the U.S. Government has been the single largest contributor of
humanitarian assistance for Iraqis.
* The U.S. Government contributed $39 million to the $130 million United
Nations Education appeal, which aims to enroll an additional 150,000 Iraqi
children in Jordanian and Syrian schools.
* Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) Ellen R.
Sauerbrey has led efforts increasing support to UN agencies and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) responding to humanitarian needs of
Iraqi refugees in the region.
* U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs support
thousands of internally displaced persons (IDP) and other at-risk
beneficiaries inside Iraq through activities such as provision of emergency
relief supplies, water systems, and infrastructure rehabilitation for host
communities, small-scale livelihood activities, and support for mobile
medical teams and emergency health.
* Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed Ambassador James Foley as the
Senior Coordinator for Iraqi Refugee Issues. He is working with the Iraq
Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Task Force, which is chaired by
Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky,
and other government agencies to continue expanding our response.

U.S. GOVERNMENT Funding for Humanitarian Assistance – 2007

(in millions)
+-----------------+-----------+---------------+-------------+-----------------+
| USG | IOs | NGOs | Othera | Total |
+-----------------+-----------+---------------+-------------+-----------------+
| STATE/PRM |$ 99.26 |$18.55 |$ 5.00 |$122.81 |
+-----------------+-----------+---------------+-------------+-----------------+
| USAID/OFDA |$ 06.00 |$ 57.40 |$ -- |$ 63.40 |
+-----------------+-----------+---------------+-------------+-----------------+
| USAID/FFP |$ 00.65 |$ -- |$ -- |$ 00.65 |
+-----------------+-----------+---------------+-------------+-----------------+
| USAID/Jordan |$ -- |$ -- |$ 10.30 |$ 10.30 |
+-----------------+-----------+---------------+-------------+-----------------+
| TOTAL |$105.91 |$ 75.95 |$ 15.30 |$197.16 |
+-----------------+-----------+---------------+-------------+-----------------+

aState Department/Near Eastern Affairs Bureau supplement to the Department
Scholar Rescue fund grant; USAID support to Jordanian government to reinforce
ongoing health and education programs in communities affected by large numbers
of Iraqi refugees

Refugee Processing for Iraqis

* Since February 2007, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) expanded
processing for Iraqi refugee applicants in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria,
Turkey and Lebanon.
* UNHCR announced its intention in February to refer approximately 20,000
Iraqis to resettlement countries during calendar year 2007, with over half
that number to the USRAP. In February, the U.S. Government had virtually no
refugee processing infrastructure in the two major asylum countries, Syria
and Jordan. Since then, USRAP entities have established processing
facilities, hired and trained local and international staff, and prepared
cases for presentation to adjudicators from the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS).
* UNHCR and U.S. embassies have referred more than 13,000 Iraqis to the USRAP
for resettlement consideration. Additionally, in Jordan and Egypt, direct
access to the USRAP is available to direct-hire employees of the U.S.
Mission in Iraq and interpreters/ translators working for the U.S.
Government or U.S. Government contractors.
* The Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration
Services (DHS/USCIS) completed interviews of approximately 4,500 Iraqis
during FY 2007. Interviews are continuing at an accelerated pace in FY
2008, with the cooperation and support of host governments.
* During FY 2007, 1,608 Iraqi refugees arrived in the U.S. for permanent
resettlement.
* The total number of Iraqi refugee arrivals in FY 2007 represents an
eight-fold increase over the number of arrivals in FY 2006.
* With necessary USRAP facilities and personnel now in place, we expect that
the number of Iraqis admitted to the United States as refugees should
increase significantly.
* The U.S. Government is aiming to admit as many as 12,000 Iraqi refugees
over the next fiscal year between October 1, 2007, and September 30, 2008
(FY08). As we have noted earlier, the number of arrivals each month will
fluctuate.
* In October 2007, the first month of FY08, 450 Iraqi refugees arrived in the
United States.

Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and Immigrant Visas (IVs) for Iraqis

* Apart from these refugee admissions numbers, in FY 2007 the United States
issued immigrant visas for more than 2,300 additional Iraqis.
* 821 of these were special immigrant visas through our special admissions
program for translator and interpreters who assisted the United States.
This number includes 429 principal applicants and 392 family members.
* The other 1,520-plus Iraqis were issued other types of immigrant visas that
permit them to move permanently to the United States.

2007/986

Released on November 9, 2007

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