UN AGENCY CALLS ON SYRIA’S NEIGHBOURS TO KEEP BORDERS OPEN FOR REFUGEES

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 24 May 2013 18:00:00 -0400
Subject: UN AGENCY CALLS ON SYRIA'S NEIGHBOURS TO KEEP BORDERS OPEN FOR REFUGEES
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

UN AGENCY CALLS ON SYRIA'S NEIGHBOURS TO KEEP BORDERS OPEN FOR
REFUGEESNew York, May 24 2013 6:00PMThe United Nations refugee agency
today called on countries around Syria to keep their borders open for
refugees, while also stressing the need for "urgent and robust"
international support for host countries and aid agencies.

There are already over 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan,
Turkey and Iraq, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR). With the violence worsening inside Syria, the agency expects
that more people will continue to seek safety in neighbouring
countries.

While commending the Governments of neighbouring countries for hosting
so many people, UNHCR <"http://www.unhcr.org/519f40b79.html">voiced
concern about reports that many Syrians trying to flee might be stuck
at the border in extremely dangerous areas.

"We are also disturbed by accounts indicating there may be
restrictions imposed on those wishing to leave Syria," UNHCR
spokesperson Melissa Fleming told reporters in Geneva.

"We call on all parties to protect civilians and allow safe passage
for those wishing to flee."

UNHCR fully acknowledged the legitimate concerns of neighbouring
countries, but it is essential that civilians fleeing violence have
access to safety under all circumstances also in accordance to
international law, Ms. Fleming said.

"At the same time, it is critical that the international community
provides urgent and robust support to refugee hosting countries and
humanitarian operations to enable them to continue to receive and
address the growing needs of Syrian refugees. These countries should
not be left to shoulder the burden alone," she stated.

"We therefore also encourage all countries, not just those bordering
Syria, to keep their borders open to offer protection to Syrian
refugees."

The spokesperson added that UNHCR and its partners are stepping up
efforts and appealing for new funds to support the refugee population
with a full range of life-saving and life-sustaining assistance.

The refugees are among the 8.3 million people now in need of
humanitarian assistance as a result of the conflict in Syria, where
over 70,000 civilians have lost their lives since the uprising seeking
to oust President Bashar Al-Assad began in March 2011.

UN agencies and their partners are continuing to assist the 6.8
million in need inside Syria. In Geneva, agencies voiced their concern
about the plight of civilians trying to flee the besieged city of
Al-Qusayr.

Ms. Fleming said refugees were telling UNHCR that the city was
virtually cordoned off and was impossible to flee. Some said the city
was empty, while others said all civilians had moved to one
neighbourhood of the city and were pretty much trapped.

Meanwhile, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said it assisted 1,000
families displaced from Al-Qusayr this week with food rations for one
month, including rice, sugar, vegetable oil and lentils. Those
families had reached the town of Hesieh at night on foot with only the
clothes on their backs. They were sheltering in two schools, tents or
with local families.

"These people have been under siege inside Al-Qusayr for months and
this is the first time WFP has been able to reach them," spokesperson
Elisabeth Byrs told reporters. The agency estimated that around 500
families remained in Hesieh while others had fled to Damascus or
sought refuge in Lebanon or Jordan.

Working with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), WFP is also providing a
specialized peanut-based nutrition product known as Plumpy'doz to
prevent and combat child malnutrition in Syria. The supplementary
feeding programme is expected to reach 50,000 displaced children
living in public shelters and will then expand to reach up to 100,000
vulnerable children between the ages of 6 months to 36 months through
health centres. Children in shelters in a number of cities around
Syria have already received the product.

UN aid agencies and their partners, who appealed for $1.5 billion at
the start of the year for the humanitarian response to the Syrian
crisis, are expected to announce a revised funding appeal on 7
June.May 24 2013 6:00PM
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