United Nations – UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has called for global support for refugees.
The call is coming on the eve of the high-level conference organised by the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), focused on refugees from Syria and the need for generating a substantial increase in resettlement and other answers for their plight.
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In a statement, Grandi said “refugees fleeing conflict and violence and arriving in Europe carry an important message: addressing their plight cannot only be the task of countries and communities that are close to wars.
“It is a global responsibility that must be widely shared until peace prevails again.
“Giving at least some Syrian refugees an opportunity to move on to better lives and relieving the burden on countries hosting millions of refugees are important gestures of solidarity.
“Let us not miss this opportunity”.
The UN said that the conference was one of several key events in 2016 focused on Syria’s refugees.
It followed February’s London Conference on Syria, dealing with the financial dimensions of the humanitarian challenge posed by the more than 13.5 million people in need inside Syria and the 4.8 million refugees in the surrounding region, along with the needs of communities in host countries.
The conference is also in the run up to September’s Summit on refugees taking place at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The UNHCR underlined that the focus of conference is on the need for expanded, multi-year programmes of resettlement and other forms of humanitarian admission, including countries that until now have not been involved in such initiatives.
The agency also stressed that resettlement is not the only aim, other such pathways include humanitarian transfer or visas, private sponsorship, medical evacuation, family reunion, academic scholarship, and apprenticeships or labour schemes.
The event, the UN says will also showcase innovative approaches, new partnerships, and successful case studies, and is being presented as an opportunity for governments around the world to be part of finding solutions for Syrian refugees.
Representatives from some 92 countries, 10 inter-governmental organisations, nine UN agencies and 24 non-government organisations are expected.
The UNHCR said that some pledges of additional resettlement and other humanitarian admission places are expected to be announced tomorrow.
In line with refugee situations elsewhere, the UNHCR estimates that as many as 10 per cent of Syria’s 4.8 million refugees fall into this category, and that well over 450,000 places will be needed before the end of 2018. (NAN)
