UN chief concerned over Syrian refugees situation

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over the situation of Syrian refugees in northern Iraq.

Ban visited with the Syrian refugees in Kawrgosik camp near Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, on Tuesday.

The UN chief described the situation in the camp, which hosts more than 200,000 refugees from Syria, as “heart-breaking.”

“I am here to send our strong solidarity and support to all the refugees who came from Syria, on behalf of the United Nations and the international community,” said Ban alongside the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos.

Ban also promised that the UN will step up efforts to provide the refugees with humanitarian aid.

“We will try to mobilize all the necessary humanitarian assistance for these people – tents, water, sanitation, education – and all that they need, we will provide,” he said, adding, “I sincerely hope that with the solidarity of the international community and strong support for a Syrian-led peace process, these refugees will be able to return to their homes with hope and dignity.”

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million of others displaced due to the violence in Syria. The country has been gripped by a deadly conflict since 2011. According to the reports, the Western powers and their regional allies – especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.