Iraq Refugees Spark Crisis for Neighbors

Over 2 million Iraqis have fled their war-torn homeland, with 50,000 more leaving each month for neighboring countries—primarily Jordan and Syria. A UN official is terming the exodus a "humanitarian crisis," and the organization is calling for extra funding to cover medical supplies and shelter for the refugees.

Iraq's neighbors are also beginning to toughen up entry restrictions, the BBC reports, and are asking for assurances that displaced Iraqis will eventually return home or settle elsewhere. The US, meanwhile, vowed to let in 7,000 Iraqis by the end of September but has only permitted 133 to enter in the past nine months. (More Iraq stories.)