Zaatari refugee camp (Jordan) (AFP) – UN goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolieurged the UN Security Council to “find a way” to solve Syria’s nearlyeight-year war during a tour Sunday of a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan.
“It is heartbreaking to return to Jordan and witness the levels of hardshipand trauma among the Syrian refugees as this war enters its eighth year,”the Hollywood star said at the Zaatari camp.
Jolie, a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner forRefugees (UNHCR), said Syria’s neighbours Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraqnow host around 5.5 million refugees from the conflict.
“They really are an example to the world at a time that solidarity with therefugees is in short supply,” she told reporters after meeting withfamilies living in the camp which is home to about 80,000 people.
“Humanitarian aid is not a long term solution,” she said, urging SecurityCouncil members to take action and solve the war which broke out in March2011.
“This is a crisis that has been out of control for years. UNHCR does nothave the funds to provide in full even the most basic necessities,” shesaid.
The UNHCR response for the Syria conflict was “only 50 percent funded” lastyear and only seven percent since the start of 2018, she said.
Jolie, who was on her fifth trip to Jordan, said “it is soul-destroying”for Syrian refugees “to be made this dependent”.
“So I would urge the Security Council members to come to the region, tovisit the camps and the urban refugees, and find a way to finally bring thefull weight of the UN and international community to bear to solve thisconflict,” she told reporters.
“My message to the international community today… please do more to helpmeet the needs of desperate Syrian families, and the countries hosting them.
“But above all please provide the leadership and strength needed tonegotiate a principled end to this senseless war, without sacrificing thedignity and human rights of Syrian families. That is non-negotiable,” shesaid.
The UN refugee agency says it has registered more than 650,000 Syrianrefugees in Jordan since the conflict in Syria began in March 2011 withanti-government protests.
However, Amman says it is hosting 1.3 million Syrian refugees, and hasrepeatedly called for more assistance to do so. – AFP