Protection for Iraqi refugee women high on agenda, says UNHCR

Although no refugees have crossed into Iran from neighbouring Iraq yet, preparations are being made for a possible influx, with women’s needs high on the agenda. "As these women would be coming from an armed conflict, their physical security is one of our main concerns," Kaoru Nemoto, the senior protection officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the western province of Kermanshah, bordering on Iraq, told IRIN on Tuesday. The refugee agency ensures that the special needs of women fleeing conflict are accommodated. Based on previous experience, sexual abuse can be common in camps, and for this reason measures are taken to ensure that risk is minimised. "For example, we try and put latrines close to tents, and make sure they are well lit at night," Nemoto said. Some 10 camp sites for refugees have been identified in locations along the Iraq/Iran border, with preparations well under way to accommodate any influx. In order to tackle the specific problems faced by women refugees in Iran, UNHCR, in collaboration with the Iranian government's Bureau for Alien and Foreign Immigrant Affairs, has undertaken several initiatives, mainly in the protection, health and education sectors. Single women or widows fleeing together with unaccompanied children are particularly vulnerable in camp situations, and site planners have tried to ensure their safety. "We would recommend that these women and children are in the safest area of the camp, near the camp administration area," Nemoto observed. Equal access to material assistance is also a high on the agenda. "We make sure that there are enough female staff to help serve the needs of women in camps," she said. The refugee agency has always been sensitive to gender violence, placing it high on its agenda. "We have proposed training activities with the Iranian Red Crescent, and they are well equipped to deal with such issues." In some cases, psychological counselling is also made available. "We want to make sure that women feel safe when they cross the border. This is the most essential basis for the enjoyment of their rights," she stressed. With many of Iraq's population centres close to the Iranian border, Iran may be one of the first places prospective refugees will choose to head for. There are already 200,000 Iraqi refugees from the last Gulf War still living in Iran today, and many feel for those who may now be forced to endure the same journey they did more than a decade earlier. "I remember the day we crossed into Iran. I thought we would never make it. It was tough for the women and children in particular as we were forced to live in cramped conditions," Sabia Mehreen told IRIN in the Iranian capital, Tehran. She now lives in Tehran with her family of four.