UNHCR Statement on the Situation in Turkey
Press Releases, 9 February 2016
Geneva/ Ankara, 9 February 2015 – UNHCR expresses its gratitude for the generosity shown by the Turkish authorities and people towards the Syrian refugees they have been hosting for the last five years. UNHCR appreciates that Turkey is continuing to give access to humanitarian and medical cases despite the increasingly complex situation in northern Syria. In view of the recent displacement in Aleppo province and the extreme vulnerabilities, UNHCR is encouraging authorities to ensure a broader access to Turkish territory for all those in need of international protection in line with the long-standing Turkish open-border policy.
Turkey is already hosting over 2.5 million Syrians and shouldering the greatest responsibility in sheer numbers in this humanitarian international crisis. While UNHCR stands ready to assist authorities to manage and care for new arrivals of refugees, and has pre-positioned relief items in Turkey close to the Syrian border accordingly, far greater support is required to address the magnitude of needs. UNHCR is therefore also calling on the international community to swiftly and meaningfully increase support to Turkey.
Media contacts:
- In Geneva, Melissa Fleming +41 79 557 9122
- In Geneva, William Spindler +41 79 217 3011
- In Ankara, Selin Unal +90 530 282 7862
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UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie meets Iraqi refugees in Syria
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie returned to the Syrian capital Damascus on 2 October, 2009 to meet Iraqi refugees two years after her last visit. The award-winning American actress, accompanied by her partner Brad Pitt, took the opportunity to urge the international community not to forget the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees who remain in exile despite a relative improvement in the security situation in their homeland. Jolie said most Iraqi refugees cannot return to Iraq in view of the severe trauma they experienced there, the uncertainty linked to the coming Iraqi elections, the security issues and the lack of basic services. They will need continued support from the international community, she said. The Goodwill Ambassador visited the homes of two vulnerable Iraqi families in the Jaramana district of southern Damascus. She was particularly moved during a meeting with a woman from a religious minority who told Jolie how she was physically abused and her son tortured after being abducted earlier this year in Iraq and held for days. They decided to flee to Syria, which has been a generous host to refugees.
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie meets Iraqi refugees in Syria
Beyond the Border
In 2010, the Turkish border with Greece became the main entry point for people attempting by irregular methods to reach member states of the European Union, with over 132,000 arrivals. While some entered as migrants with the simple wish of finding a better life, a significant number fled violence or persecution in countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq and Somalia. The journey is perilous, with many reports of drowning when people board flimsy vessels and try to cross the Mediterranean Sea or the River Evros on the border between Greece and Turkey. The many deficiencies in the Greek asylum system are exacerbated by the pressure of tens of thousands of people awaiting asylum hearings. Reception facilities for new arrivals, including asylum-seekers, are woefully inadequate. Last year, UNHCR visited a number of overcrowded facilities where children, men and women were detained in cramped rooms with insufficient facilities. UNHCR is working with the Greek government to improve its asylum system and has called upon other European states to offer support.
Beyond the Border
Za'atari oldest man
At 113, Yousef is a very old man. Until conflict forced him to flee Syria two years ago, his life was spent peacefully with his farm, his shop, his three children and 160 descendants nearby. Now, he is perhaps the oldest resident of Za'aatri refugee camp in Jordan.
"He was sad when we told him we wanted to leave," says his daughter Nejmeh. "He tells me he wants to go back to Syria…He made me promise, if he dies, to bury him in Syria."
United Kingdom: High Commissioner calls for more funding for Syrian Refugees
Speaking at the London Syria Conference, the head of the UN Refugee Agency Filippo Grandi called for a significant increase in pledges to offer much-needed stability, opportunities and hope to Syrian refugees, who are becoming more vulnerable as a brutal war has raged for five years
Lebanon: Newborn Boy Spends First Winter In A Warehouse
Just ten days old, Syrian infant Mohammed is already experiencing the harshness of refugee life. Living with his family in a warehouse without furniture, natural light or permanent heat, he is already battling his first cold.
