On Thursday, Dec 10th, our delegation visited the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Damascus. The UNHCR staff briefed us on the current Iraqi refugee situation in Syria. The UNHCR office has 220,000 registered Iraqi refugees. The actual number of Iraqi refugees in Syria is one million. The registered refugees get free food from the UNHCR. But, very little or no financial aid is being given to the refugees because of the lack of funds. Most of the refugees get some financial aid from some non-profit organizations and others work illegally.
Our delegation also saw art made by several Iraqi refugees. We managed to buy 20 paintings for roughly $250 each that will be become part of an art show in the U.S. and then auctioned. The money raised will be sent back to the refugees.
Shaz Rishi reporting from Damascus, Syria.
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