On World Refugee Day, award-winning actress Angelina Jolie visited the Syrian refugee camp in Mardin, Turkey in her capacity as the special envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner.
Accompanied by UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres and her eldest daughter, Jolie gave an impassioned speech during a press conference encouraging global leaders to look into the "refugee crisis" that should now be treated as a "global crisis" that could impact on global security and governance, according to the Associated Press as featured on Yahoo News
Jolie said that since the Syrian conflict began, "the refugee crisis has been the worst at a time of mass displacement," the publication said.
Her visit to the southeast province of Mardin in Turkey came in the heels of reports that several countries are thinking of ways to bar refugees from entering their borders. Hungary has announced recently its plans to build a 4-meter (13-foot) high fence so no one else could enter. A similar move by Serbia has been announced to stop the entry of migrants from Africa and Asia, according to Agence France Presse as featured on Manila Bulletin.
Jolie lamented that "people are running out of places to run to," emphasizing "the need to be open and tolerant to people ... who may not be able to return home," the Associated Press said.
Turkey has welcomed 1.6 million refugees from Syria since the crisis started-the largest so far, which Turkish chief of disaster and emergency agency, Fuat Oktay said could even grow bigger. The country has appealed to the United Nations and other developed countries for assistance on the refugee crisis.
Jolie met with Turkey's senior government officers including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The UN said that the number of people forced to flee war, persecution and violence has soared to a record 59.5 million, half of them children, according to Agence France Presse.
