The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
More than 10,000 people from Syria have sought refuge in neighbouring Iraq in the 10 days since fighting began in north-eastern Syria near the border with Turkey, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
The situation in north-eastern Syria remains tense and unpredictable, with ongoing violence has leading to “some 180,000 people having been displaced across the country’s north-east,” according to the latest UN estimates.
Most of the Syrian refugees come from cities and villages from northeast Syria and have witnessed explosions and shelling. “Three out of four are women and children and there are unaccompanied children among these arrivals,” Andrej Mahecic, a spokesperson for the UNHCR told journalists today in Geneva.
In a further update Mahecic added that that only had the latest refugee influx to Iraq passed the 10,000 mark, but that they had just received another “1,114 people this morning, bringing the total to more than 11,000 refugees.” Most of the people fleeing Syria into Iraq are sheltered at the Bardarash refugee camp, some 140 kilometers east of the Iraqi-Syrian border, he said.
UNHCR and partners, together with local authorities, are providing a range of services that start from the border. These include reception, provision of hot meals, transportation to the camp, registration, shelter and protection services, and even providing psycho-social support.
As humanitarian needs mount along with the burgeoning numbers of refugees, Mahecic stressed “the importance of freedom of movement for fleeing civilians and that the borders remain open, so that refugees can seek safety and protection”.
- Exterior shot, Palais des Nations
- Wide shot, Room III
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Andrej Mahecic, UNHCR: “In Syria, some 180,000 people have been displaced across the country’s north-east according to the latest UN estimates. The majority of the displaced are women and children.”
- Medium shot of podium, zoom out
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Andrej Mahecic, UNHCR: “1,114 people have been received this morning, so that brings the in-country total to more than 11,000 refugees.”
- Medium shot: journalists
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Andrej Mahecic, UNHCR: “We and our partners continue to provide life-saving assistance to them around the clock. We stress the importance of freedom of movement for fleeing civilians and that the borders remain open so that refugees can seek safety and protection. UNHCR and other humanitarian partners are working with authorities of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and are committed to supporting their response to the latest refugee influx.”
- Medium shot: journalists
- Close-up: journalist
- Medium shot: journalists
- Close-up: spokesperson
- Medium shot: journalists
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
News of another deadly shipwreck tragedy off the coast of Mauritania is a clear indication of the desperation people on the move continue to face as they attempt to escape strife, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Concerns continue to grow over the impact of a possible polio outbreak in Gaza, amid disastrous sanitary conditions and a lack of access to health care, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , OHCHR , UNICEF
Poliovirus detected in Gaza sewage puts thousands at risk amid increasing ‘anarchy’ In Gaza, tests conducted by the Global Polio Laboratory Network have confirmed the presence of poliovirus in six sewage samples collected on 23 June from Khan Younis and Deir al Balah.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Renewed wave of deadly Israeli strikes on Gaza must stop – UN Human Rights Office
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Institutionalised forced labour by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea constitutes grave violations of human rights – UN report
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Time is running out for starving civilians in Sudan, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday, while talks involving the country’s warring parties continue in Geneva this week.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC faces a severe humanitarian crisis with 25M in need and rising conflict-related issues.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
A gimmer of good news emerged from Gaza on Tuesday as patients returned to at a newly reopened UN health centre in Khan Younis, six months after it was severely damaged and forced to close by heavy fighting, the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN condemns attacks on Kyiv hospitals, calls for immediate action to protect civilians.
1
1
2
Edited News | WHO
In Gaza, soaring temperatures, hunger and unsanitary conditions present an ever more deadly threat to a population under constant attack, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WMO , IFRC
Hurricane Beryl smashes into Caribbean, turns sights on Mexico As Hurricane Beryl’s destructive path shifted to Mexico on Friday after roiling the Caribbean, UN agencies and partners said that the emergency response was underway, before warning that a very long and damaging hurricane season looks increasingly likely.
1
1
2
Edited News | IOM , mcc , UNHCR
Refugees and migrants continue to face extreme forms of violence, exploitation and death on sea and on land across Africa as they attempt to leave the continent, UN agencies said on Friday, in an appeal to border authorities to do more to protect them.