November 13, 2020
1 min read

US snubs Russia-backed conference on Syrian refugees

Currently, there were 13.1 million people in need in Syria; 6.6 million internally displaced persons; and 2.98 million people in hard-to-reach and besieged areas, the UNHCR figures have revealed…reports Asian Lite News

The US State Department on Thursday dismissed as a distraction a Russian-backed conference in Damascus that called for the return of millions of Syrian refugees to the war-ravaged country. Arab News reports

Richard Albright, deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, said it is no more than a show that bears no relation to the grim reality of the situation in Syria.

Joel Rayburn, the US special envoy for Syria, said the conference was “just a dog and pony show meant to distract from the fact that the Russians and the Assad regime have not done what the international community has been pressing them to do, which is to end the war and move to a political solution under UN Security Council resolution 2254.”

During the joint briefing, Albright also accused Russia and the Syrian regime of using refugees as “political pawns” to lend legitimacy to the regime. 

The conference was hoped to achieve positive results that could “alleviate the suffering of the Syrian refugees abroad and open the way for them to return to Syria and live a normal life”, according to the office.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), over 5.6 million people have fled Syria since 2011, seeking safety in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond.

Currently, there were 13.1 million people in need in Syria; 6.6 million internally displaced persons; and 2.98 million people in hard-to-reach and besieged areas, the UNHCR figures have revealed.

Turkey hosts the largest number of registered Syrian refugees at 3.6 million.

Also read:Russia resumes trade mission in Syria

Previous Story

‘Good to be back on the golf course’

Next Story

Ukrainian Prez Admitted To Hospital

Latest from -Top News

Rajnath Singh Heads to Australia for Key Defence Talks

The visit comes at a historic moment when India and Australia commemorate five years of establishment of India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership…reports Asian Lite News Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Australia from

California Takes Trump to Court

Trump claimed that the deployment of federalized troops was necessary because the city of Portland was under siege…reports Asian Lite News California Governor Gavin Newsom said the state will sue the Trump

Hamas Heads to Egypt for Gaza Talks

The negotiation will focus on the details of enacting the first phase of the plan…reports Asian Lite News A delegation from the Palestinian group Hamas arrived in Egypt on Sunday ahead of

Multi-alignment, upgraded

With US ties strained and China tense, New Delhi taps Europe’s harder edge for co-development, clean tech and strategic autonomy, writes Manoj Menon India is recalibrating its great-power hedging as frictions with

India-EU Trade Deal Breakthrough Soon?

Negotiators report increased momentum in discussions, which have been given a boost from US President Donald Trump’s tariff offensive…reports Asian Lite News India and the European Union aim to finalise a trade
Go toTop