SYRIA: Iraqi musician Nasseer Shamma holds a fund-raising concert for Iraqi refugees

Record ID: 279529

  • Title: SYRIA: Iraqi musician Nasseer Shamma holds a fund-raising concert for Iraqi refugees
  • Date: 18th June 2008
  • Summary: (MER-2) DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JUNE 16, 2008) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) EMPLOYEES COLLECTING DONATIONS A SIGN SAYING "WORLD REFUGEES DAY 2008 - EXPRESS YOUR SOLIDARITY WITH REFUGEES" PEOPLE MAKING DONATIONS DONATION BOX SYBELLA WILKES, UNHCR'S REGIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYBELLA WILKES, UNH
  • Embargoed: 3rd July 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA2YHAGFSPT8XTLA1X9RXD64L01
  • Story Text: Nasseer Shamma, a famous Iraqi Oud player and an advocate on behalf of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), held a concert on Monday (June 16) in the Syrian capital to raise money for Iraqi refugees on the occasion of the upcoming World Refugee Day.
    Ticket sales raised about one million Syrian Pounds ($20,408 USD) in addition to private donations which have reached 250,000 Syrian Pounds ($51,02 USD) ahead of the concert. However, this is well below the amount needed.

    "This concert has come at a time when even the Higher Commission (UNHCR) - which is the only source of help for refugees everywhere - is in need of funds," Nasseer told Reuters.
    The UNHCR warned in May 2008 that it could soon be forced to reduce, and in some cases to bring to a halt, its assistance programs for hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees unless donor governments provide additional support.
    Sybella Wilkes, Regional Public Information Officer of the UNHCR said: "We are facing a funding crisis and we hope we would never have to stop helping the refugees. Here in Syria it is mostly Iraqi refugees and this is a lifeline for them - and this is why we are doing this concert to raise awareness that this programme needs urgent large amounts of funding."
    The funding crisis comes as fuel, food and rent costs have risen dramatically. According to a survey held by IPSOS Market Research in November 2007, 5 percent of Iraqi refugees said they live on less than $100 (USD) a month. By March that number had risen to 20 percent.
    Rahman Idi, Iraqi refugee and volunteer for the UNHCR, said: "It is an important day for every Iraqi refugee to express what they feel as a human being. The Iraqis who are here can get to know each others and talk about the problems they are facing. Also they may suggest plans that may change their future as refugees."
    According to the UNHCR, $127 million (USD) is required for assistance programs for uprooted people in and around Iraq until the end of 2008.
    That is why the UNHCR, in cooperation with the General Secretariat of Damascus, organised the concert in order to assist the UNHCR in gathering funds in order to maintain the support to more than a million Iraqis and 450,000 Palestinians living in Syria.
    The concert attracted Iraqis as well as Palestinians who form a big part of the refugee crisis in the Middle East.
    Talal Naji, a Politburo of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine GC, told Reuters: "We believe that the cause will stay alive in the minds and hearts of people when we stress the right of return of Palestinian refugees (to their land Palestine)."
    World Refugee Day will be marked internationally on Friday (June 20).
    By the end of 2007, some 11.4 million refugees were displaced from their countries and 26 million were internally displaced by conflict worldwide.
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