UN opens camp in Anbar for newly displaced Iraqis

UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday opened a new refugee camp in the Anbar governorate, west of Iraq, to receive those displaced from areas witnessing clashes between Daesh and government forces, the Anadolu Agency reported.

Ali Bibi, UNHCR spokesman, said that the new refugee camp was opened in Al-A’amiriya and it is supported by the local community, tribal leaders and the governor of Anbar.

Bibi said that the new camp included in its first stage 500 tents ready to host at least 3,000 refugees.

He called on the international community to support displaced Iraqis during this “sensitive” stage, stressing that Iraq has done its best to assist those displaced despite the limited sources at its disposal.

Last month the UNHCR opened a refugee camp that included 325 tents in the neighbourhood of Al-Sadr Al-Yusufiyah to the south of Baghdad in order to host Iraqis displaced by the battles in Anbar and the north of the country.

The International Organisation for Migration announced on Friday that 3.2 million Iraqis have been internally displaced since the start of last year until the end of last month.