Media Advisory: Visit by UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Humanitarian Envoy Ahmed al-Meraikhi to Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon [EN/AR]

WHO: UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Humanitarian Envoy Ahmed Al-Meraikhi
WHAT: Mission to Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon
WHEN: 16-22 March 2017
WHERE: Ankara, Gaziantep, Amman, Beirut, and field visits

UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Humanitarian Envoy Ahmed Al-Meraikhi will visit Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon from 16 to 22 March 2017 to see first-hand the magnitude of the Syria Crisis ahead of the Brussels Conference on 5 April.

After six years of conflict, the humanitarian situation in Syria continues to remain bleak. Over half the country’s population have fled their homes: 4.8 million people have sought refuge in the region and beyond, and 6.3 million people are internally displaced. Millions of men, women and children have fallen into poverty, forced to take risky choices and face increased protection risks.

The Special Humanitarian Envoy’s visit follow’s the release of the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2017 for Syria. Under the plan, USD 3.4 billion is being requested to respond to the most life-threatening needs of 13.5 million people across Syria this year, including close to 5 million in besieged and hard-to-reach locations. 126 humanitarian organizations, including international and national NGOs, UN agencies and international organizations have projects in the plan, which addresses the needs of the most vulnerable people inside the country.

The UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Humanitarian Envoy is expected to meet with senior government officials, UN agencies, local and international NGOs, as well as visit refugee camps and host communities in the region.

For further details of press encounters and other interview opportunities during the mission, please contact:

Sajeda Shawa (OCHA) +962-790-224-591, shawas@un.org or David Swanson (OCHA) +962-791-417-882, swanson@un.org