UNHCR's Guterres meets new Syrian ambassador on Iraqi emergency

from UNHCR.org

GENEVA – The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, met on Friday with Fayzal Khabbaz Hamoui, the new Permanent Representative in Geneva for Syria, a country now hosting nearly 1.4 million uprooted Iraqis.

"Over the past years Syria has made enormous sacrifices by receiving large numbers of Iraqis fleeing violence and persecution," Guterres told Ambassador Hamoui. "UNHCR and the humanitarian community highly value Syria's generosity and willingness to keep the borders open for Iraqis in need. We, however, also continue to appeal for international support to Syria's huge effort to provide assistance and protection to Iraqis."

In recent years more than 4 million Iraqis have fled their homes – an average now of 50,000 every month. More than 2 million Iraqis are displaced inside Iraq, while over 2 million Iraqis have fled to neighbouring countries, mainly Syria and Jordan.

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