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[NEW YORK, 11 July 2007] - Iraqi refugee women and children are increasingly vulnerable to violence and abuse as challenges to their survival and well-being intensify daily, the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children found on a recent mission to Jordan. Refugees reported that domestic violence is on the rise and women and girls have no protection from abuse or exploitation. Care for rape survivors is not available. Increased humanitarian assistance is needed to help Iraqi refugee women and children, as well as those displaced within Iraq. “The situation for Iraqi refugees is untenable and women and children are most affected by the vulnerability of their situation,” said Carolyn Makinson, Executive Director. “Iraqi women and children have been twice wronged – they were not protected in Iraq and are not being properly protected as refugees. The international community’s responsibility toward Iraqi refugees is not being fulfilled.” Every Iraqi woman the Women’s Commission interviewed said they knew women who were experiencing violence at home and that the problem is getting worse – a result of the stressful, frightening and increasingly desperate situation families are in. They also said that women and girls inside Iraq were becoming targets of violence, including rape, trafficking and prostitution. Many refugees are traumatised by the violence they experienced or saw in Iraq and need psychological assistance, which is rarely available. Families have minimal or no access to basic health services, including reproductive health care. As a result, many Iraqi refugees with treatable illness are suffering greatly and are at risk of dying from even the most preventable maladies. Although services for pregnant women are free for Iraqis in Jordan - including those who need an emergency C-section - this care is available only to those who present a marriage license. Because Iraqis in Jordan are not recognised as refugees by the Jordanian government, most are living in the country illegally. They cannot lawfully work and have little or no source of sustainable income and can be deported at any time. Men and boys are most likely to be deported so women sometimes work illegally, but have no protection from employer abuse. The situation is ripe for women and girls to be forced into prostitution and sex work as families struggle to survive. Some Iraqis we met said this is already happening. Iraqi parents are despairing that they can’t send their children to school because Iraqis are barred from attending public schools and private schools are far too expensive. The US government should immediately develop a comprehensive assistance strategy for Iraqi refugees that reflects the magnitude of the refugee crisis, the great strain on refugee receiving countries, especially Syria and Jordan, and the special responsibility the US has to these refugees. This should include increased support of UNHCR, UNICEF and other international and national organisations assisting Iraqi refugees, and a robust and efficient US resettlement programme. Health needs, including reproductive health care, must be addressed immediately. This includes care for rape survivors, including emergency obstetric care for all women and girls, as well as psychosocial care to address trauma and domestic violence. Protecting women and children from exploitation should also be a priority. “Iraqi refugees in Jordan are hanging on by a thread that will soon break if the US and international community don’t significantly step up humanitarian assistance,” Makinson said. “Each day we wait, Iraqi families move closer to the abyss. We must act now.” Further information