On March 20, 2003, Iraq was invaded by American and British troops which ended the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. The citizens of Baghdad celebrated the fall of Saddam with enthusiasm, without knowing that for most of them internal displacement would become their sole option of survival. After a while it has been understood that U.S. troops and the so-called democratic Iraqi government were unable to control the violence between the Islamist extremist groups and other ethnic groups.

Dreaming of democracy was unusual for Iraqis as they have more serious problems to think about. The UNHCR in 2007 reported that around 5 million people had fled their country out of which approximately 1.5 million Iraqi refugees established new lives in Syria.

The big exodus

After 400,000 displaced Palestinian refugees, Syria with its small economy and its multi-ethnical and religious background became the only hope of survival to almost 1.5 million Iraqis. These people are Shiite, Sunni, Druze, Turkmen and Christians. The Kurds didn't leave. Sunnis settled to the high rent areas such as Mazeh, the Assyrians Christian preferred middle class Christian areas like Jarmana and Doelha, and The Shiites settled around Set Zaynab Damascus.

Most of the refugees were women and children with different backgrounds and mixed socio-economic classes. Almost half of those people have a university or have postgraduate degree according to a survey done by IPSOS.

Ninos Bar Karmo, who lived three years in Jaramana Syria, explains their dramatic arrival at the settlement: "People where happy to escape from violence but they were also sad for leaving their homes without seeing a future." They migrated to Syria in huge numbers. The Syrians were very surprised by so many refugees. Trucks, buses and cars carried thousands and thousands of people to no future.

A resident of Syria confirmed that some of the refugees were rich but not all of them. Later he added; "There were some families who couldn't afford any rent too." Some rich Sunnis started businesses especially; Assyrian Christians depended on their families or relatives in USA and Europe." Also, a priest from Damascus said; "The Kurdish government of north Iraq, tries to help Christians who are in financial trouble in the suburbs of Damascus."

The fact that some of the refugees were rich doesn't cover the truth of severe economical crisis between some refugee families. Bar Karmo states that there are a lot of Iraqi children and widow women on the streets of Damascus whose husbands were kidnapped or killed because of the conflict of Iraq. After living five years in Syria most of them became already teenagers and even some of them were born in Syria. The life has been very tough for widows and children. Not all of them were lucky to get jobs.

Prostitution to survive

As Bar Karmo adds; "I am not sure but I heard that prostitute business was common among Shiite refugees, especially among widows and families who have young daughters without any male in their families." Although it is very dramatic he continues; "the Syrian prostitutes complained about the big competition that intensified after the Iraqi refugee came to Syria. Hence, making love with a prostitute became affordable for many Syrians."

Also, according to Forbes most Iraqi refugee families were forced to prostitute their daughters in order to be able to survive. Moreover, the so called pleasure marriages are increasing in Syria leading to more sexual exploitation of the Iraqi refugee daughters.

The child labor among Iraqi refugees is very high, too. According to World Press Reports Iraqi children are forced into child labor. Around 10 percent are pushed into the work force for an income of $1 a day and around 80 percent cannot attend school. Even some families live with the salaries of child labor.

Iraqi refugees' especially women and children deserve better life standards. Those kids who are raised in refugee camps will be the youth and parents of tomorrow. In order to prevent their camps of becoming a cradle for hatred and violence, they need to be raised in better conditions. Moreover, widows with children need special attention in order to prevent their kids from being traumatized and exploited.

As Syria has political problems with United States the world is not aware of the humanitarian drama going on in Syria. Also the Syrian government is not ready to let international NGOs to operate within its territories. According to the bulletin of Refugee International, the money provided by UNHCR is not sufficient, the agency asking for $261 million in 2008 in order to be able to provide protection and shelter to the Iraqi refugees.

It looks like fights between Iraqi ethnic and religious groups will continue. This means that the Iraqi refugees will have to stay longer in Syria and the women and children will pay by their body. Their future in Syria is shadowed and foggy. After a while, the Syrians and the Syrian government will not be able to handle the humanitarian crisis. It may be true that the Iraqi refugee women chose non-heterodox ways to survive, but no one can argue that they do that for pleasure.

Crusaders and others

Almost everyone in Middle East believes that U.S. is the cause of the bloody conflict in Iraq. It might be true or not. Here, the following questions should be addressed: If Americans are the reason of the bloody struggle, why do Iraqi people with the same ethnic and religious background kill each other? If the Americans are the crusaders why doesn't the Arab League help the displaced Iraqi refugees everywhere? The mother country of Islam is Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia closed the doors to Iraqi refugees. As a result, if the West or the Americans are the crusaders, why the Iraqis or other Islamic leaders don't take any action to prevent the ethnic and sects conflict?

By Markus Urek
www.turkishdailynews.com.tr