As
Jordan Mulls
Closing Syria
Border, UNHCR
Says "Bad
Idea,"
Srebrenica
Cited
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 17 --
After Jordan's
prime minster
Abdullah
Ensour
said that his
country will close
its border
with Syria
when (or
really, if)
Bashar al
Assad falls,
Inner City
Press asked
the UN
Refugee
Agency's
regional
coordinator
Panos Moumtzis
if UNHCR
thinks
this is a good
idea.
No,
Moumtzis told
Inner City
Press, it is a
bad idea,
we've not had
a
positive
experience
with safe
havens. He
cited
Srebrenica,
saying the
UN is "not
proud."
But,
Inner City
Press asked
Moumtzis, will
UNHCR convey
this
experience
and advice to
Jordan?
"We
have a good
relationship
with Jordan,"
Moumtzis
answered. He
went on to say
that the
countries
hosting
refugees are
wondering if
they are being
"taken for
granted."
It
seems UNHCR is
already
walking on
eggshells with
Jordan, or
estimating
their costs at
double that of
Lebanon, per
refugee. The
reason,
Moumtzis said
in another
answer, is
that Jordan
decreed that
all refugees
must be in
camps, in part
to prevent
"radicalization."
Moumtzis
also
described five
hospitals
right next to
each other in
Zaatari
camp in
Jordan, built
by and to show
the
beneficence
of, among
others,
Morocco,
France and
Jordan itself.
Five hospitals
there but
few elsewhere;
few other
services in
the camp.
As
to Iraq,
Moumtzis said
most of those
coming in from
Syria are
Kurds.
One of Iraq's
border
crossings has
been closed.
Moumtzis
described
the delicate
ethnic and
religious
politics.
Inner
City Press
wanted to ask
about the
reported
policy of NOT
letting
Sunni refugees
in Turkey's
Hatay region,
with its
Alawite
population.
But the event,
one in a new
"brown bag"
series by the
UN
Department of
Public
Information,
was strangely
run when it
came to
questions, as
was the first
in the series
with outgoing
Security
chief Gregory
Starr.
The
series is one
welcome reform
by DPI. But
will there be
more, from
those already
raised?
Watch this
site.
Footnote:
Panos
Moumtzis
mentioned
UNRWA, where
he previously
worked. He's
also
served as
humanitarian
coordinator in
Libya, as
(speaking of
Srebrenica and
UN failures)
in Rwanda.
His candor was
appreciated,
and his
dedication as
reflected (or
recounted) by
a recent 2 am
visit to a
camp. So
much so one
wanted to ask
his views on
the treatment
of refugees
and
immigrants in
his native
Greece. He is
"doing the
circuit"
in New York,
including the
International
Peace
Institute if
only via
webcast. We'll
see.
, 
