Syria's border closure hits Iraqi refugees

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

SAIDA ZEINAB, Syria (Reuters) - Suffering kidney disease and living in a Damascus slum, Amal Jabar lost her only means of support when Syria closed its borders to Iraqi refugees a few weeks ago.

"My son Mostafa used to come and bring me whatever little he scraped together from odd jobs in Baghdad. I would be starving now if it wasn't for charity," said Jabar, who fled from the al-Amel district in Baghdad, a focus of sectarian fighting.

"The area is swamped with militias and Mostafa's life is in danger. He was planning to move to Syria, but now he cannot and I haven't heard from him," she said.

Syria's decision on October 1 to shut its borders to Iraqi nationals, except merchants and academics, has disrupted lives of refugees, separated families and trapped thousands amid killings and upheaval, according to refugees and aid agencies.

With an estimated 1.4-2 million refugees constituting up to 10 percent of Syria's population, the government said it could no longer absorb more Iraqis, although thousands were crossing the border every day.

Isra Khdayer, another refugee, was separated from her mother and five sisters by the new regulations just when they were planning to follow her to Syria.

The family was driven out by sectarian threats from the Shaab neighborhood of the Iraqi capital and initially fled to the town of Khan Bani Saad in the province of Diyala to the northeast.

"My family is not safe there. We thought Diyala would be better than Baghdad, but we were wrong. Every facility is virtually closed and with militias and Americans everywhere no road is safe," she said.