UNHCR renews calls for relocation of MKO members outside Iraq

The dramatic deterioration of the security situation in Iraq is "equally worrying" in the context of the efforts – on-going since 2011 – of UNHCR and UNAMI to relocate members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK, a.k.a. MKO) terror group outside Iraq, said UNHCR in a statement.

"The escalation in conflict across Iraq leaves residents of the Hurriya TTL open to significantly heightened security risks," the statement reads.

The UNHCR "urgently" renewed its calls upon governments of other countries to admit residents and to find ways to offer long term solutions to all.

"If long term solutions cannot be made available immediately, the urgent need to relocate the residents would justify an extraordinary evacuation to a temporary platform from where they could be permanently relocated to a third country," it added.

UNHCR went on to appreciate the measures taken by some countries to relocate MKO members held in Iraq.

Approximately 2,700 members of the MKO now reside in Camp Liberty which is located near the Baghdad International Airport.