UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres Monday called on the European Union (EU) to provide emergency aid to Syria and Jordan, the main destinations of Iraqi refugees.
Delivering a speech in the Portuguese parliament, Geterres said the international community should not only offer help for Iraq's reconstruction, but also should show concern for Syria and Jordan, which have received a large number of Iraqi expatriates and endeavored to cover their needs.
Since the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in March 2003, more than 2.3 million Iraqis have fled the strife-torn country, with upwards of 1.2 million now in Syria and as many as 500,000 in Jordan.
Guterres said both Syria and Jordan now worry about a possible continued massive inflooding of Iraqi refugees while their abilities to receive refugees are overstrained.
He urged the EU to provide emergency aid to the two countries to help them overcome difficulties in handling the refugee issue.
Syria began enforcing a new visa policy on Monday to stem the influx of thousands of refugees fleeing Iraq Last Monday. Jordan imposed its own visa requirements some two years ago.
Source: Xinhua
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