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 | OCHA , UNICEF , WHO
Two years of Gaza-Israel war bring ‘indescribable’ pain: UN humanitarians
Two years since the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UN humanitarians on Tuesday reiterated calls for the release of all hostages in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire and an aid surge to alleviate Palestinians’ suffering, as talks on a US-driven peace plan continued in Egypt.
1
1
1
Edited News
Syria prison survivor seeks justice for the missing with UN backing.
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned that three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous and deadly stage for Ukrainian civilians, under relentless bombardment of their schools, hospitals, and shelters.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , ICRC
Quadcopter victims, terror and death: 30 minutes in a Gaza hospital
UN aid teams on Friday highlighted the disturbing situation in Gaza’s makeshift hospitals, where premature babies cry for scant oxygen and medics attempt to save child survivors targeted by airstrikes in their tents and quadcopter victims reportedly shot while fetching bread.
2
1
2
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday delivered his oral update to the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session on the human rights situation in Haiti.
The High Commissioner welcomed Wednesday’s decision of the UN Security Council to strengthen the Multinational Security Support mission by transitioning to the Gang Suppression Force for Haiti, stating it is a strong signal of international support for the Haitian people.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
Gaza: As world waits for US peace plan news, UN aid teams stress need for ceasefire
UN agencies reiterated calls for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday to help alleviate Palestinian suffering, as a new US 20-point plan raised hopes of a halt to the fighting.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza City continues to overwhelm the war-torn enclave’s medical professionals, with four more hospitals forced to shut down this month alone, the UN World Health Organization said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
A UN Human Rights report released today details the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained since Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine in 2022.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNICEF
Sudan war: Life-saving cholera vaccination campaign begins in Darfur
Amid the devastating war in Sudan, UN aid teams are overcoming major obstacles to curb a cholera outbreak claiming lives across the country, with young children particularly at risk.
2
1
2
Edited News , B-roll | UN WOMEN
Women and girls still reeling from Afghanistan's recent deadly earthquake face even greater suffering rebuilding their lives and livelihoods without much more help from the international community, UN Women said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Rising civilian casualties, growing ethnic violence and the grim humanitarian situation in Sudan underscore how the crisis there is deepening, according to a UN Human rights report published today.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNITED NATIONS
United Nations agencies staff demonstrates on Place des Nations in Geneva to denounce the killing of their colleagues in Gaza.