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São Paulo – This Friday (14) the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Syria has become the country with the largest number of forcefully displaced people. The total is over 9 million people, corresponding to over 40% of the country’s total population.<\/p>\n
Civil war in Syria lasts three years already and has caused almost 2.6 million people to escape to other countries. Internal displacement is at 6.5 million, children being half this figure, according to Unhcr.<\/p>\n
According to the UN agency, as there is no progress in the peace talks, the number of Syrians escaping to neighboring nations will increase and become the biggest refugee population in the world.<\/p>\n
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In Lebanon, for instance, the number of Syrian refugees borders on 1 million and may reach 1.6 million by the end of the year. It is the highest per capita concentration of refugees, with 230 Syrians to each thousand local citizens.<\/p>\n
“It is unconscionable that a humanitarian catastrophe of this scale is unfolding before our eyes with no meaningful progress to stop the bloodshed”, said Unhcr’s chief, António Guterres, according to a note from the organization. “Imagine the crushing social and economic consequences of this crisis on Lebanon and other countries in the region”, he added.<\/p>\n
In that sense, Unhcr restates the international financial support request to ensure humanitarian aid for this population and that countries around the globe open up their borders for the refugees. The UN wants European, American and Asian nations to receive 30,000 people this year and 100,000 in 2015 and 2016.<\/p>\n
Brazil, for example, has relaxed visa issuance for Syrian refugees and provided shelter for 300 people, according to Unhcr.<\/p>\n
To make donations, guarantee humanitarian aid to the refugees, and obtain further information on the crisis in Syria, click on the Unhcr sites below.<\/p>\n
In Portuguese: www.acnur.org\/t3\/portugues\/<\/p>\n
In English: www.unhcr.org<\/p>\n
In Arabic: www.unhcr-arabic.org<\/p>\n
In French: www.unhcr.fr<\/p>\n
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça<\/strong><\/p>\n