The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Turkey said on Thursday that the nations hosting the refugee camps need more support from the international body, Anadolu Agency has learned.
On Thursday, the UN official said that adequate responding to a refugee crisis must be a global and shared responsibility. Amid the global coronacrisis, the countries hosting refugees should receive more support.
For Turkey and other countries hosting Syrians due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s, it is a heavy burden.
“We advocate for more support to be provided by the international community to Turkey and also to all neighboring countries hosting Syrians in this 11th year,” Leclerc stressed.
In the spirit of the Global Compact on Refugees, the Un should increase the financial support to the nations hosting migrants. That includes financial aid, more resettlement places and complementary pathways. Now, Turkey is hosting 4 million people in difficult conditions because of the covid crisis.
Remarking that the Syrian conflict after 10 years is the “tragedy of the 21st century,” he emphasized that the pandemic is stretching the capacities of the states to respond to the needs of both their citizens and the refugees.
While funding is critical to address immediate, increasing humanitarian needs, international solidarity, which is essential in refugee situations, has to commit to long-term financial support to host countries, according to Leclerc.
“The gap between needs and actual resettlement has never been so big. While UNHCR continues to search for durable solutions for all refugees, resettlement places made available by third countries remain very limited globally,” Leclerc said.
