Since the start of the Iraq war in 2003, over 4.7 million Iraqis have fled their homes, with 2.7 million internally displaced, finding shelter either in other parts of Iraq, and the rest fleeing to other countries. Most of these internationally displaced refugees are heading to Syria and Jordan, and many are also going to Europe (Iraqis now make up the largest ethnic group of people seeking asylum in Europe). This is causing significant problems for these countries, who want to open their borders and take care of their neighbors but face internal problems as a result. One issue in particular is th
at of public schools, particularly in Jordan, where the most Iraqi refugees have settled. Public schools are overflowing with children, and there aren’t enough teachers or supplies to teach them all. Should refugee children be denied an education, or should Jordanian children receive a sub-par education since they have to cater to all of the students? UNHCR has been delivering food and supplies to countries that have been taking care of refugees in an effort to help ease the burden, but even then these host countries are in great need of help. A UNHCR-commissioned survey of nearly 1,000 Iraqis currently staying in Syria done in April of this year has shown that 95 percent had fled their homeland because of direct threats or general insecurity, and that only 4 percent currently had plans to return to Iraq. If you take four percent of 4.7 million Iraqis, you have only 188,000 people planning on returning in the near future. Remember, this is just plans to return, not actually returning, leaving millions internally or internationally displaced with not even a plan or hope of returning home soon. Even if they did go home, many would find that their homes were being occupied and would face the challenges of having their property restored to them, if it was left at all.
at of public schools, particularly in Jordan, where the most Iraqi refugees have settled. Public schools are overflowing with children, and there aren’t enough teachers or supplies to teach them all. Should refugee children be denied an education, or should Jordanian children receive a sub-par education since they have to cater to all of the students? UNHCR has been delivering food and supplies to countries that have been taking care of refugees in an effort to help ease the burden, but even then these host countries are in great need of help. A UNHCR-commissioned survey of nearly 1,000 Iraqis currently staying in Syria done in April of this year has shown that 95 percent had fled their homeland because of direct threats or general insecurity, and that only 4 percent currently had plans to return to Iraq. If you take four percent of 4.7 million Iraqis, you have only 188,000 people planning on returning in the near future. Remember, this is just plans to return, not actually returning, leaving millions internally or internationally displaced with not even a plan or hope of returning home soon. Even if they did go home, many would find that their homes were being occupied and would face the challenges of having their property restored to them, if it was left at all.While there are always negative side effects to war, we need to re-look at the War in Iraq and decide if it is truly worth the cost, both monetary and physical. The 4.7 million displaced Iraqis are a huge cost in and of itself, but it does not even count the millions dead as a result of collateral damage and fighting. In my opinion, no moral justification for war is worth the cost in lives that this has caused.
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