IRIN: UNHCR faces urban challenges in assisting Iraqi refugees

A new report by UNHCR, Surviving in the City, reviews the agency's operations in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, assisting Iraqi refugees in urban areas, IRIN reports. UNHCR encountered many problems in reaching out to these refugees - a majority of them are not registered, so much of the assistance does not reach those in need. The urban environment poses operational challenges to the agency, as it cannot help the refugees as well as in camps.

The vulnerabilities cited by UNHCR include poverty, resorting to dangerous activities such as prostitution, physical and mental disabilities, and female-headed households whose main breadwinner has been killed in Iraq. [...]
The urban setting poses further challenges. For refugees these include high living costs - most of their money goes on shelter, says UNHCR; travelling long distances to reach registration centres, and problems accessing health and education services.

Attempts to adapt its strategies include a text messaging service to alert refugees of new food distributions and the handing out of ATM cards so that refugees can withdraw money locally rather than travelling to a UNHCR point.