The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Monday appealed for 60 million U.S. dollars to fund its work in 2007 for hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced people affected by the conflict in Iraq.

"The funds will cover UNHCR's protection and assistance programs for Iraqi refugees in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey, as well as non-Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people within Iraq itself," the agency said in a press release.

According to the agency, unremitting violence in Iraq will likely mean continued mass internal and external displacement affecting much of the surrounding region.

It notes that the current exodus is the largest long-term population movement in the Middle East since the displacement of Palestinians following the creation of Israel in 1948. About one out of every eight Iraqis is now displaced.

"The longer this conflict goes on, the more difficult it becomes for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced and the communities that are trying to help them - both inside and outside Iraq," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres.

"The burden on host communities and governments in the region is enormous. It is essential that the international community support humanitarian efforts to help the most vulnerable people," he said.

UNHCR and its partners estimate that out of a total population of 26 million, some 1.7 million Iraqis are displaced internally and up to 2 million have fled to nearby countries.

While many Iraqis were displaced before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, increasing numbers of Iraqis are now fleeing escalating sectarian, ethnic and generalized violence.

In 2006 alone, UNHCR estimates that nearly 500,000 Iraqis fled to other areas inside the country and that 40,000 to 50,000 continue to flee their homes every month.

UNHCR's planning figures under the latest appeal are for up to 2.3 million internally displaced people within Iraq by the end of this year. The appeal includes programs to identify and register the most vulnerable among the displaced so they can get the support they need.

Source: Xinhua