UNHCR: Syrian crisis a disgraceful humanitarian calamity

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has revealed that the number of registered refugees who have had to flee Syria has exceeded 2 million people. A written statement on the UNHCR website noted that although the civil war in Syria has been ongoing for 3 years, the tragedy of civilians fleeing the country continues as children, women and men are forced to leave their homes with only the clothes on their backs. The statement recorded that the number of refugees escaping Syria, which had been 230 thousand 671 the previous year, had reached 1.8 million people this year. In the statement, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres is quoted as saying that the Syrian crisis has become "a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history." Guterres expressed that “the only solace is the humanity shown by the neighboring countries” which have sheltered and protected the lives of the refugees by hosting over 97 percent of them, and have thereby undertaken immense infrastructural, economic and social burdens. The statement emphasizes that these neighboring countries urgently require comprehensive international support in handling the crisis. “Some neighboring countries could be brought to the point of collapse” Meanwhile the statement also includes the comments of UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie, who underlines the death, destruction and danger which has forced the Syrians to leave their home. Jolie expressed that “If the situation continues to deteriorate at this rate, the number of refugees will only grow, and some neighboring countries could be brought to the point of collapse.” Noting that the world is "tragically disunited" on the issue of ending the crisis in Syria, Jolie stated that there should be no doubt that the suffering of the Syrian people must be alleviated and that the world must do more for a solution. The statement, which reminded that 5 thousand Syrians flee their country each year, emphasized that humanitarian aid must be increased and that it had become critical to support the countries sheltering the refugees. The statement conveyed that a meeting with ministers from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey had been organized to be held at the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday September 4 in order to draw attention to the deteriorating economic impact and the need to accelerate international support. Half of the 2 million Syrian refugees who have registered with the UNHCR are children, and the figure does not include the refugees who have not been registered. Furthermore, 4.25 million people have also been dislocated within Syria, according to the UNHCR's figures. Meanwhile, Turkey will be represented by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during the meeting set to be held with UNHCR officials and ministers from the countries neighboring Syria.