110 HCON 298 IH: Expressing the Sense of Congress on the U.S. House of Representatives 2008-02-14 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. CON. RES. 298 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 14, 2008 Mr. Israel submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Expressing the Sense of Congress on the Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq.

Whereas according to the United Nations, nearly 2,000,000 Iraqis have been forced to flee Iraq due to terrorism and sectarian conflict and another 1,700,000 have been forced to relocate within Iraq; Whereas the United Nations estimates that more than 4,000,000 Iraqis are currently displaced from their homes, including roughly 2,200,000 inside Iraq and 2,000,000 refugees; Whereas their numbers grow at an estimated rate of 80,000 to 100,000 per month; Whereas refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) increasingly present a security crisis for Iraq’s government and for the stability of the Middle East at large; Whereas the deprivation of food, shelter, and medical care for these refugees and IDPs constitutes a major humanitarian crisis; Whereas this refugee crisis is creating a severe strain on the economy of Iraq as well as the economies of neighboring countries; and Whereas the international community through organizations such as the Office of The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross are making bold efforts that focus attention and resources on this problem: Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of Congress that— (1)the Iraqi refugee crisis must be addressed before it becomes a major factor in the destabilization of Iraq; (2)this humanitarian crisis, if left to fester, could become an increasing threat to the National security of the United States; (3)the Iraqi Red Crescent Organization is a principal relief organization providing immediate relief in the form of food, shelter, and medicine to the IDP and refugee populations in Iraq; and (4)the United States should support the Iraqi Red Crescent Organization in their work to provide humanitarian relief to the people of Iraq.