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12:00 GMT
GENEVA, July 21 (KUNA) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) said Tuesday that a new transit centre has been opened in Slovakia
that will take in 98 Palestinians refugees from the desert camp of al-Walid
near the Iraqi-Syrian border where they have been trapped for the last six
years.
UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters that they will stay at the
new centre for up to six months while their final resettlement to other
countries is arranged.
Redmond stressed that the highest priority is closing Al Walid, a camp
about 10 km inside Iraq.
Several countries have responded to UNHCR's appeal to resettle these
refugees but are unable to reach them for interviews because of security
concerns.
According to UNHCR at the end of May there were 1,479 refugees in Al Walid,
843 at Al Tanf in the no-man's land between Iraq and Syria near Al Walid, and
391
Palestinian refugees at Al Hol, in northern Iraq. Further 10,000 Palestinian
refugees are in Baghdad. (end)
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