UNHCR: 1 in 10 Syrian refugees will need resettling, other solutions in next 3 years

In a press conference released Tuesday, UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards said that on Wednesday UNHCR will host here in Geneva a high-level Conference that will focus on refugees from Syria and the need for generating a substantial increase in resettlement and other answers for their plight.

The conference is one of several key events in 2016 to do with Syria's refugees. It follows February's London Conference on Syria which focused on the financial dimensions of the humanitarian challenge posed by more than 13.5 million people in need inside Syria and the 4.8 million refugees in the surrounding region along with the needs of communities in countries hosting them. And it comes in the run up to September's summit on refugees to be held at the General Assembly meeting, Edwards said.

The focus of Wednesday's conference is the need for expanded, multi-year programs of resettlement and other forms of humanitarian admission, including involving countries that till now have not been involved in such initiatives, he said.

Resettlement is not the only aim. Other such pathways include humanitarian transfer or visas, private sponsorship, medical evacuation, family reunion, academic scholarship, and apprenticeships or labour schemes. The event will also showcase innovative approaches, new partnerships, and successful case studies, and is an opportunity for governments around the world to be part of finding solutions for Syrian refugees, he added.

The meeting will be attended by representatives of some 92 countries, six inter- governmental organizations, 14 UN agencies and 24 non-governmental organizations and 3 other bodies. Speakers will include UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, plus representatives of key refugee-hosting governments, Edwards said.

Source : MENA