* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Jolie visited the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan along with Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide and UN High Commissioner of refugees, António Guterres, who honoured the work of NRC for Syrian refugees. - NRC and other partners are doing a fantastic job assisting the refugees, said Guterres.
As one of the main operational agencies in the camp, Norwegian Refugee Council hosted UNHCR’s press conference which was broadcasted worldwide, bringing attention to the plight of Syrian refugees. There are more than half a million Syrian refugees in Jordan, including over 100 000 living in Zaatari, which has become Jordan's fourth largest populated city.
- We pay tribute to the Jordanian people, who have not only opened up their homes but also their hearts to the refugees, said António Guterres.
Region wide, more than 1.65 million Syrian have fled into neighboring countries.. Inside Syria, more than 4 million people are internally displaced. The UN estimates that more than 10 million Syrians will be in urgent need of humanitarian aid by the end of the year.
- This is the most dramatic humanitarian crisis we have at the moment, both on a regional and global level. We urge politicians to unite efforts to ensure the war stops and to come together for a political solution, the High Commissioner said.
Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie and UNHCR High Commissioner for refugees, António Guterres. Photo: NRC/Christian Jepsen
Special Envoy Angelina Jolie walks with the UNHCR High Commissioner for refugees, António Guterres (L) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Espen Barth Eide (R), at the Za'atri refugee camp in Jordan.
Jolie: - You must find common ground
As a UNHCR Special Envoy, Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie has paid several visits to the Zaatari Camp over the last year.
On the World Refugee Day, Jolie stated that the Syrian civil war is the most acute humanitarian crisis in the world.
- By the end of this year, half of Syria's population will be in desperate need of food, shelter and assistance, she said, and stated that much more humanitarian aid is needed.
- And above all, a political settlement to this conflict must be found. We appeal to the political leaders of the world to unite, and for the United Nations Security Council to live up to their mandate to end this crisis. The lives of millions of people are in your hands. You must find common ground, Jolie said.
She also pointed out that refugees are often forgotten and frequently misunderstood.
- They are regarded as a burden, as helpless individuals, or as people who wish to move to someone else's country, she added.
- That is not who they are. Rather, refugees are people to invest in, who will one day rebuild their countries, and a more peaceful world for us all. On this day, I honor the refugees.
- A strong sense of humanity
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said that the Zaatari Camp in itself was “a stark reminder of the ongoing drama inside Syria and its regional and global implications”.
- It’s a strong sense of humanity seeing how refugees arrive into Jordan are welcomed by the Jordanian people. We have strong appeal and need for more resources. We must all do more. The international community is obliged to do something about this crisis, he added.
NRC is the lead partner of UNHCR in providing camp-set up activities in the camp, ensuring all new arrivals of refugees have immediate needs met through provision of tents, mattresses and hygiene articles. NRC has just opened a large distribution center in Zaatari to provide core relief items to the entire camp population. The compound in which the joint press conference took place, is one of many buildings constructed by NRC in the Zaatari camp. On a daily basis the compound serves as a center for distribution of aid kits on behalf of other humanitarian organizations.
- NRC and other partners doing a fantastic job assisting the refugees, said António Guterres said at the press conference.
FACTS:
NRC Syrian refugee response
NRC is one of the main responders to the regional refugee crisis and currently providing shelter, basic services, and protection to over 200 000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. In addition, our emergency standby roster NORCAP has provided substantial support to UN operations in Syria’s neighboring. Currently, 25 NORCAP experts are seconded to programs in Syria and neighbouring countries.
For more information on NRC’s regional response to the Syria crisis: www.nrc.no/syriaresponse
