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Iraq families exodus to escape violence { October 18 2006 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/18/iraq.main/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/18/iraq.main/
Ministry: Iraq families join exodus to escape violence
POSTED: 11:41 a.m. EDT, October 18, 2006
Story Highlights
• Report: Deteriorating security in Baghdad is causing civilians to flee
• Ministry estimates nearly 54,000 families have been displaced by the war
• At least 100,000 children are among those fleeing, the Red Crescent says
• 9 U.S. soldiers, 1 Marine die in Iraq on Tuesday
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes to escape the war and escalating sectarian violence in Iraq, the country's Ministry of Displaced Persons and Immigration announced Wednesday.
The reported exodus is the latest sign of the profound demographic changes in a country being ripped apart by Sunni-Shiite animosity.
The ministry said the deteriorating security situation in Baghdad was primarily to blame for 53,788 families leaving their homes. (Watch Baghdad bomb wreckage, witnesses describe carnage -- 1:43 )
Given that the average Iraqi family consists of eight to 10 members, at least half a million Iraqis have been displaced since the February bombing of the Askariya mosque in Samarra, a holy Shiite shrine, the chairman of the Iraqi Red Crescent told CNN.
Among the displaced are at least 100,000 children, said Dr. Said Ismail Hakki, and a fifth of the displaced have fled during the last four weeks.
While numbers differ among government and research groups tracking the demographic shifts, all the figures are high and alarming. The U.S. and Iraqi governments have so far not called the situation in Iraq "civil war." (Watch why parties differ on whether Iraq is in civil war -- 2:18 )
On Tuesday the Brookings Institution published a study that found that the displacement of Iraqis, due to sectarian violence, is contributing to the division of Iraq "along religious and ethnic lines."
"Sunni Arabs have been fleeing to Sunni areas (the displaced group that has grown the most); Shias have been fleeing to Shia areas; Kurds have been fleeing to the northern provinces and Christians to parts of Nineveh province. Formerly mixed towns have become Sunni or Shia," the report said.
"The displaced consider any chances of returning home slim. They see their displacement as a reflection of deep-seated political divisions in the country."
The study, conducted with the University of Bern in Switzerland, took aim at the government's earlier report that 234,000 Iraqis have fled their homes since February, saying the figure is too low. "Many displaced persons do not register, and tracking numbers is highly politicized. Since 2003, more than 800,000 have fled Iraq seeking refuge abroad."
Since the Askariya mosque bombing, Shiite "restraint has diminished," as have the voices of moderation such as Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the report said.
"Intolerance and mistrust are spreading, especially among the youth. Street slang in cities is becoming increasingly violent, and tribal groups on both sides appear to be growing restless, which could add a more popular and rural dimension to the sectarian violence," the report said.
Last week, the U.N.'s refugee agency said that an estimated 1.5 million people have fled their homes within Iraq itself, including more than 365,000 since February. An additional 1.6 million Iraqis have fled the country, the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said, calling it "a steady, silent exodus." (Details)
The Switzerland-based International Organization for Migration puts the number of Iraqis displaced from their homes since the eruption of sectarian violence earlier this year at nearly 190,000. In the last two months, 9,000 people per week on average were being forced to flee, said the group, which reviewed 15 of Iraq's 18 provinces.
10 U.S. troops die in Iraq
Insurgent attacks killed 10 U.S. service members in a single day in Iraq, the U.S. military said Wednesday.
Four coalition soldiers died Tuesday in a roadside bomb attack west of Baghdad about 6:50 a.m.
Less than three hours later, another coalition soldier died when gunmen shot at his patrol in northern Baghdad.
A sixth soldier was killed about 1:10 p.m. when his vehicle was hit by a homemade bomb, also north of the capital.
In Diyala province, northeast of the Iraqi capital, three soldiers assigned to 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, were killed as the "result of enemy action" during military operations, officials said.
In Anbar province, west of Baghdad, one Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died Tuesday of wounds "due to enemy action."
As of Wednesday, 67 U.S. service members have been killed in October, and the total for the year so far stands at 602 deaths. Since the start of the war, the U.S. military has lost 2,782 people in Iraq. Seven American civilian contractors of the military also have died in the conflict.
Sources: Anfal prosecutor's brother killed
The brother of the chief prosecutor in Saddam Hussein's Anfal trial was killed Monday in Baghdad, court officials told CNN Wednesday.
The Iraqi High Tribunal could not provide more details about the killing of Munqith al-Faroun's sibling. Al-Faroun has been in court this week in the proceedings against the former Iraqi leader and his six co-defendants.
The safety of jurists and lawyers has been a major concern of defendants and their attorneys. The killing follows that of the chief judge's brother-in-law late last month. Three defense lawyers in Hussein's first trial, concerning the massacre in Dujail, have also been killed.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
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