UNHCR’s Guterres: Syria refugees reach one million
Data received from UNHCR’s offices in the Syria region shows that the number of Syrians either registered as refugees or being assisted as such has now reached the one million mark.
“With a million people in flight, millions more displaced internally, and thousands of people continuing to cross the border every day, Syria is spiraling towards full-scale disaster,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres. “We are doing everything we can to help, but the international humanitarian response capacity is dangerously stretched. This tragedy has to be stopped.”
The number of Syrian refugees fleeing their country has increased dramatically since the beginning of the year. Over 400,000 have become refugees since 1st January 2013. They arrive traumatized, without possessions and having lost members of their families. Around half of the refugees are children, the majority under the age of eleven. Most have fled to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. Increasingly, Syrians are also fleeing to North Africa and Europe.
“This number translates into one million people who are dependent on the generosity of host countries, the response of humanitarian agencies and the financial support of governments and individuals,” said Guterres.
Guterres noted that the impact of this large number of refugees arriving in neighbouring countries is severe. Lebanon’s population has increased by as much as 10 per cent. Jordan’s energy, water, health and education services are being strained to the limit. Turkey has spent over US$600 million setting up 17 refugee camps, with more under construction. Iraq, juggling its own crisis with more than one million Iraqis internally displaced, has received over one hundred thousand Syrian refugees in the past year.
“These countries should not only be recognized for their unstinting commitment to keeping their borders open for Syrian refugees, they should be massively supported as well,” said Guterres.
In December, the UN’s Regional Response Plan for Syrian Refugees estimated that 1.1 million Syrian refugees would arrive in neighbouring countries by the end of June 2013. UNHCR is in the process adjusting this plan accordingly in light of the new figures. Currently, the plan is only approximately 25 per cent funded.
Absent a political solution to the conflict, Guterres said, “at a minimum, humanitarian actors should receive the funds needed to save lives and ease suffering.”
The Syria crisis will be two years old next week. High Commissioner Guterres will be travelling to the region later this week to visit UNHCR operations in Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon.
Page 5 of 22
-
UN High Commissioner for Refugees visited Sweden
10.05.2023The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, visited Sweden on 27-28 April 2023.
-
Sudan: UNHCR warns forcibly displaced are facing worsening risks in Sudan
28.04.2023As hostilities flare in Sudan, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning that the conflict is having a devastating impact on the civilian population, including refugees and internally displaced people across the country.
-
UNHCR’s Grandi: To avoid further suffering and a major refugee crisis, Sudan needs urgent peace efforts
27.04.2023The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, is very concerned that the ongoing, brutal conflict in Sudan is now forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes in search of safety both within the country and across its borders. Humanitarian needs in Sudan were already enormous […]
-
UNHCR gravely concerned as refugees fleeing fighting in Sudan arrive in Chad
20.04.2023GENEVA — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is greatly alarmed by the escalating violence in Sudan as the first refugees fleeing the fighting have found safety in Chad. In the past days, an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people have fled the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region to seek refuge in neighbouring Chad, […]
-
Lithuanian Refugee Council amongst refugee-led organizations awarded by UNHCR’s new Innovation Fund
10.03.2023UNHCR has established a new fund seeking to support refugee-led organizations and initiatives.
-
UNHCR: One year after the Russian invasion, insecurity clouds return intentions of displaced Ukrainians
23.02.2023GENEVA – Twelve months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than 13 million people remain uprooted from their homes, including nearly 8 million refugees across Europe and more than 5 million internally displaced people within Ukraine. Their prospects for return in the near future, however, are clouded by continued […]
-
One year on: Support from the Nordic and Baltic countries vital in helping displaced Ukrainians
17.02.2023Funding from the Nordic and Baltic countries has helped provide essential support to people displaced as a result of the war in Ukraine.
-
UN and partners appeal for US$5.6 billion to help millions affected by Ukraine war
15.02.2023With the full-scale war in Ukraine about to enter its second year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today jointly appealed for US$5.6 billion to ease the plight of millions of people affected. The Humanitarian Response Plan for Ukraine, bringing […]
-
UNHCR responds to deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria
07.02.2023Teams from the UN Refugee Agency are on the ground to provide life-saving assistance to families affected by the disaster.
-
Startup founder and refugee: Mustafa in Finland provides education material for school children in Iraq
30.01.2023Mustafa Abdulameer, an Iraqi refugee in Finland, was adamant about using his skills and experience, and with a little support, he started his own company.