Syrian Refugee Crisis Is 'Tip of the Iceberg', Says UNHCR Director

The lives around 4 million Syrians who have fled to countries in Europe are “miserable”, according to Amin Awad, Director of the UN High Commission for Refugees Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa. Awad identified key factors complicating the movement of Syrian refugees in Europe, including loss of hope, dwindling humanitarian aid and the withdrawal of government support for refugee services.

Awad said too little had been done, given the scale of the crisis, but added that it was not too late to change this, by finding a way to address Mediterranean issues as a whole and by examining “the very concept of burden sharing with the countries that have received those 4 million refugees for the last four or five years and address their needs and infrastructure”. He also called for more funding for government refugee agencies and NGOs. Awad said that unless these issues are addressed, what we have seen up to now is “the tip of the iceberg”. Credit: UNHCR