More than 30 humanitarian aid organizations on Monday, December 8, issued an international request asking countries to find shelter for 180,000 Syrian refugees who have been displaced due to the civil war in their country. The senior representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) states that this number represents five percent of the total refugee population at the end of 2015. Negotiations on this matter are set to take place on Tuesday in Geneva. According to the French news agency, three years after the start of the Syrian civil war, more than 3.2 million Syrian refugees have taken refuge in neighboring countries. While negotiations and efforts to end the battles in Syria have not yielded results, the UN Refugee Agency estimates that this number will increase to nearly 3.6 million by the end of 2015. The UN Refugee Agency states, 'Neighboring countries of Syria have shown unprecedented generosity over the past three and a half years, but the toll of the crisis weighs heavily on their public services and infrastructure.' Turkey and Lebanon alone have each become home to over one million Syrian refugees. Estimates from the beginning of the current solar year indicate that for every three Lebanese citizens, at least one Syrian refugee lives in the country. The UN has also called on countries that have not yet accepted any refugees, notably the Gulf states. The latest request from the UN and humanitarian organizations comes after the World Food Program announced on December 1 that due to budget shortfalls, food assistance to 1.7 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt would be halted. The organization ultimately decided to launch a public campaign to raise one million dollars for Syrian refugees. According to the latest report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring body based in London, the number of deaths from the Syrian civil war has surpassed 200,000, while worse estimates indicate at least 280,000 deaths.
The UN Seeks a Place to Shelter Tens of Thousands of Syrians
The UN and over 30 humanitarian organizations are urging countries to find shelter for 180,000 Syrian refugees displaced by the ongoing civil war. This comes as the UN estimates the number of Syrian refugees could rise to 3.6 million by the end of 2015, while food assistance programs face budget cuts. The situation highlights the strain on neighboring countries and the urgent need for international support.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Over 30 humanitarian organizations have called for international support to shelter 180,000 Syrian refugees displaced by the ongoing civil war. This request comes as the UN estimates that the total number of Syrian refugees could rise to 3.6 million by the end of 2015, amid severe food assistance cuts.
- The Syrian civil war has displaced over 3.2 million people as of late 2015.
- Neighboring countries like Turkey and Lebanon are struggling to accommodate the influx of refugees.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has led to one of the largest refugee crises in modern history, with millions fleeing to neighboring countries and beyond.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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