US Dodges Obligation to Help Iraqi Women Trafficked into Sexual Slavery

[SoxFan]

http://www.thenation.com/article/154080/us-dodges-obligation-help-iraqi-women-trafficked-sexual-slavery

Beyond solidifying its own commitment to assisting Iraqi trafficking victims, the United States must encourage the UNHCR to focus on trafficking victims in Jordan and Syria. Our work with the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project has shown us that UNHCR is currently ill-equipped to provide trafficking victims urgent resettlement in life-threatening situations. In Syria, where trafficking is a particularly severe problem, refugees can expect meager monetary aid and a two-year wait before being resettled. Worse still, self-identifying as a trafficking victim only makes the wait longer by adding steps to the resettlement process. For victims seeking protection from UNHCR, this delay means further sexual exploitation, if not a lost chance at resettlement. The United States, which provides UNHCR with roughly one third of its funding and resettles more refugees than any other nation, has the clout to lean on UNHCR to streamline the resettlement process for trafficking victims in Syria and Jordan.

[babylonsister]

1. OK. What specifically are they dodging when the UNHCR is so

ill-equipped to provide resettlement? Urging is one thing, which the article mentions, dodging is quite another. I hate articles like this. And yes, I feel for these women and wish everyone in the world would be their witnesses and try to help them.

I wish someone had an answer besides placing blame. $$ and bureaucracy seem to be the culprits sadly.

[SoxFan]

2. I think that's what Shebby is driving at

Shebby Swett is Tom Lantos' grandson; he literally grew up watching how frustrating it can be to get the UN and other IGOs and NGOs to actually do something productive.