War may force 600,000 to flee Iraq, says UN

THE head of the United Nations refugee agency yesterday said he expected 500,000 to 600,000 people to flee Iraq if the country came under attack, and appealed to neighbours to accommodate them at their borders.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers told a news conference in Kabul his agency had alerted Iraq’s neighbours to expect tens of thousands of refugees if the US goes ahead with a military strike to destroy the country’s alleged weapons of mass destruction.

“There is no maximum figure, it could be more or less, but you have to plan somewhere ... and we have come to the conclusion some 500,000 to 600,000 people will come to the borders, try to flee the country,” Mr Lubbers said.