On February 21, 2014 Ambassador Faily joined a panel discussion at the Brookings Institution entitled, “No End in Sight: Syria’s Refugees and Regional Repercussions."
In his remarks Ambassador Faily described the situation regarding Syrian refugees in Iraq, noting that the there are currently some 220,000 refugees in the country, 70% of whom live outside of refugee camps. The Ambassador added that the majority of camps, located in the Kurdistan Region, were being managed by local authorities, with the support of UN agencies and NGOs.
Ambassador Faily noted that both the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government were working together to meet the needs of refugees, adding that although Iraq had not experienced many of the problems its neighboring countries are facing, coordination between aid organizations and authorities could be strengthened to ensure that they could cope with a further influx of refugees.
Ambassador Faily raised concerns about the long-term welfare of refugees, highlighting the need to address the root causes of the humanitarian disaster, in addition to a greater focus on mental health support for refugees and displaced persons.
Following the event, Ambassador Faily participated in a discussion with Brookings Fellow Megan Bradley on the regional repercussions of the Syrian crisis. You can watch the interview here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4iuxRxp2WY&feature=youtu.be.
To watch the Brookings Institution event in its entirety, click here.