No mention of Iraq's Displacement Crisis

Well, the President has just finished his State of the Union address and stepped off the podium. He highlighted recent security improvements in Iraq and the planned draw down of several U.S. army brigades, but did not make any reference or commitment of assistance to Iraqi refugees.

President Bush did speak briefly about the crisis in Darfur, noting the importance of "changing conditions that breed resentment and despair. " Refugees in Darfur urgently need assistance, and I am grateful the President drew attention to the crisis they face. But our humanitarian obligations extend to Iraqi refugees as well. Asylum for 2.2 million Iraqi refugees in the region is extremely precarious. Many are surviving on remittances sent by family and friends abroad or rapidly depleting savings. It is extreemly difficult for most to access heath care or education.

In Jordan, an Iraqi who had been attacked and lost a brother because he served as a translator for US troops in Anbar province told me this: "For Iraqi refugees like me, yesterday was better than today, and tomorrow will be even worse." It makes no sense to commit to providing security and improvements in daily life for those in Iraq, but to leave Iraqis who have been forced to flee their country living in despair.