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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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| Information | | |
Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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24May13
UN agency says Syrians in need of humanitarian aid on rise
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Friday the number of Syrians to seek safety and assistance across international borders will keep growing as violence in the Middle East country continues to roil.
The Refugee Agency called on all parties "to protect civilians and allow safe passage for those wishing to flee" and encouraged all countries, not just those bordering Syria, "to keep their borders open to offer protection to Syrian refugees," said Eduardo del Buey, Ban's deputy spokesperson, at a daily press briefing here.
While governments have given assurances that borders will remain open, UNHCR voiced concerns over reports that many Syrians trying to flee may be held up at the borders in areas that are extremely dangerous, del Buey said.
The Refugee Agency also commended the neighboring governments of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq for hosting more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees so far and recognized the heavy burden the refugee influx is exerting on their societies, said del Buey.
The humanitarian need has been growing rapidly in Syria, where more than 70,000 civilians have lost their lives since the uprising seeking to oust President Bashar Al-Assad began in March 2011.
The total number of people in need of assistance as a result of the crisis is now placed at 8.3 million, representing about 38 percent of the country's population. This figure included some 6.8 million in need inside Syria and 1.5 million who have sought refuge in neighboring countries. According to the latest statistics of the UN, there are now 500,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon and 500,000 in Jordan.
[Source: Xinhua, United Nations, 24May13]
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