TURKEY-MIDEAST-CRISIS/UNHCR REFUGEES UNHCR chief visits Syrian refugee border crossing

Record ID: 274651

  • Title: TURKEY-MIDEAST-CRISIS/UNHCR REFUGEES UNHCR chief visits Syrian refugee border crossing
  • Date: 26th September 2014
  • Summary: YUMURTALIK, TURKEY (SEPTEMBER 26, 2014) (REUTERS) REFUGEES CROSSING BORDER VARIOUS OF REFUGEES CROSSING UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE TO TURKEY, CAROL BATCHELOR, WALKING IN BORDER AREA REFUGEES AT BORDER BATCHELOR WALKING AT BORDER REFUGEES LOOKING AT BATCHELOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE TO TURKEY, CAROL BATCHELOR, SAYING: "They are walking in the open, some of them
  • Embargoed: 11th October 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA8WOTMMMSAAMY1QZDVC9CMAG8
  • Story Text: The United Nations refugee agency's Turkey representative on Friday (September 26) visited the Turkish-Syrian border post which tens of thousands of Syrian Kurds have surged over in the past week, fleeing the advance of Islamic State fighters.
    More than 140,000 have fled the strategic town of Kobani and surrounding villages since last Friday (September 19). The U.N. refugee agency has said the entire 400,000 population of the town could flee.
    "They are walking in the open, some of them have walked for kilometres in the open. Fortunately they are receiving some water, biscuit and so on when they arrive; but how is this done in a sand storm, in blizzard or snow storm or so? It is really very very important," the UNHCR representative, Carol Batchelor, told Reuters Television during a visit to the border to see for herself the mounting Syrian refugee crisis.
    She made an appeal to the international community to boost support to Turkey and other neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees.
    "You know this is an investment in our collective future. This isn't just about helping a person or two. This is a country where half of the population is no longer living in their home. Many of the children are not getting an education. Those who were about to start school have just fled," said Batchelor.
    Islamic State fighters tightened their siege on Kobani on Friday, pushing back Kurdish forces and sending shells into Turkish territory, witnesses said.
    The Sunni Muslim insurgents, who launched their assault on Kobani more than a week ago, besieging it from three sides, took control of high ground to the west of the town and a village to the east in fierce fighting.
    Kurds watching the fighting west of Kobani from hills on the Turkish side of the border -- Syrian refugees and Turks among them -- said they feared an imminent Islamic State assault on the town and called for U.S.-led air strikes on the insurgents.
    The U.N. refugee agency said the first of eight planned aid flights landed in the southern Turkish city of Adana, carrying pre-fabricated warehouses, sleeping mats, plastic sheeting and cooking utensils to help Turkey cope with the influx.
    Turkey is already sheltering more than 1.3 million refugees from Syria.
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