At least 28 countries have pledged to resettle more than 100,000 refugees who are fleeing the conflict in Syria, announced the head of the UN refugee agency on Tuesday.
Speaking after a high-level conference in Geneva, Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said,
"Today, 28 countries expressed their solidarity with the Syrian refugees but also with the five neighbouring countries which are hosting them... offering what we estimate will be more than 100,000 opportunities for resettlement and humanitarian admission."
The pledge comes after the UN refugee agency and more than 30 humanitarian organisations across the world urged the international community to accept more of the estimated 3.2 million Syrians displaced from the conflict in the country.
Amnesty International had earlier slammed the numbers being accepted into more affluent countries as “pitiful”, noting that the European Union excluding Germany, has pledged to take in only 0.17 percent of refugees who are currently in countries bordering Syria.
See our earlier posts:
UN calls for $16bn to fund humanitarian aid (08 Dec 2014)
More than 1.7 million Syrian refugees at threat as WFP suspends food aid (01 Dec 2014)
Speaking after a high-level conference in Geneva, Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said,
"Today, 28 countries expressed their solidarity with the Syrian refugees but also with the five neighbouring countries which are hosting them... offering what we estimate will be more than 100,000 opportunities for resettlement and humanitarian admission."
The pledge comes after the UN refugee agency and more than 30 humanitarian organisations across the world urged the international community to accept more of the estimated 3.2 million Syrians displaced from the conflict in the country.
Amnesty International had earlier slammed the numbers being accepted into more affluent countries as “pitiful”, noting that the European Union excluding Germany, has pledged to take in only 0.17 percent of refugees who are currently in countries bordering Syria.
See our earlier posts:
UN calls for $16bn to fund humanitarian aid (08 Dec 2014)
More than 1.7 million Syrian refugees at threat as WFP suspends food aid (01 Dec 2014)