UNHCR welcomes Turkey’s contributions for North Africa Operations
UNHCR welcomes Turkey’s contributions for North Africa Operations
Story, January 11, 2012
UN Refugee Agency has received from Turkey $ 300,000, as a support for its 2012 humanitarian operations in North African countries.
Ankara - The government of Turkey provided to UNHCR $ 300,000 as a contribution to the Agency’s ongoing humanitarian operations in the sub region of North Africa. In a letter sent this week by the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations to UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Turkey confirmed its voluntary contribution of $ 300,000 to the budget of UNHCR for the year 2012, in order to be used for financing the humanitarian activities of UNHCR in the North African region.
UNHCR made an international appeal last year for North African operations. This appeal has been repeated at the Ministerial Meeting held in December 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, where Turkish Minister of Interior, Mr. Idris Naim Şahin also participated. Mr. Şahin underlined in his statement at the meeting the historic tradition and values of the Republic of Turkey that has always helped people fleeing from oppression and persecution without any discrimination.
UNHCR runs humanitarian operations in several countries to address the needs of the hundreds of thousands who experienced forced displacement in 2011 because of unexpected political developments and internal conflicts.
UNHCR does registrations, processing of asylum claims, help voluntary returns and provide basic humanitarian assistance to the refugees and other categories of displaced persons in these countries.
UNHCR thanked Turkey for the generous contribution in response to the appeal for operations in North Africa. UNHCR Officials in Geneva expressed that this contribution would be of great help to bring more assistance to larger number of people who are in desperate need of help.