Jolie Visits Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, Meets Miqati
U.N. refugee agency's special envoy and actress Angelina Jolie arrived in Lebanon on Wednesday to visit the Syrians who fled the turmoil in their country.
Jolie expressed concern for the alarming humanitarian situation the Syrians are passing through.
The Hollywood star, accompanied by U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, held a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail, which was also attended by Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour and Education Minister Hassan Diab.
Jolie said after the meeting: “I met with a number of families who were being harbored and protected in houses and not in camps.”
“They are grateful to the Lebanese people and Lebanon and I too am grateful,” she stated.
The U.N. envoy said that she met with three women with their children who requested her to relay their gratitude to the Lebanese people.
“I am aware of the hardships that Lebanese people are suffering from, but they are generous and kind and I hope the world will recognize that,” she added.
She also visited a Save the Children-sponsored school to visit young refugee children restarting their education after missing out for two years because of the violence.
They "are now being reintegrated and are very very happy to be back in school," she said.
Asked if there was one thing she hoped to accomplish on her trip, she said: "Just to reach out to the families and spend time with them so they know they are in our hearts."
Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have fled the chaos as an uprising against President Bashar Assad has become increasingly violent.
The U.N. says more than 1.2 million Syrians, over half of them children, have become internally displaced in the country while an estimated 250,000 refugees sought shelter in neighboring Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.
With around 40,000 refugee in Lebanon.
On Tuesday, Jolie visited a refugee camp in Jordan where she appealed to the world to "do everything they can to support these refugees" fleeing the escalating conflict in their country.
She is expected to arrive in Turkey on Thursday to visit Syrian refugee camps near the border with the conflict-ravaged country.
UNHCR says it has so far only received a little over $9 million in aid for a regional appeal it has made for the Syrian refugees.
The UNHCR in April promoted Jolie from serving as its goodwill ambassador to special envoy due to her exceptional work for the agency.
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