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A MILLION PEOPLE have been forced to leave their homes in Syria because of the ongoing bloody conflict across the country.
The data, cited by the United Nations, shows that one million people have crossed the border into neighbouring countries offering assistance.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said there are “millions more displaced internally” and “thousands continuing to cross the border every day”.
“Syria is spiralling towards full-scale disaster,” he added. “We are doing everything we can to help but the international humanitarian response is dangerously stretched. This tragedy has to be stopped.”
Syrian refugee children stand outside their tent, at a temporary refugee camp in the eastern Lebanese town of Marj near the border. (Image: Hussein Malla/AP/Press Association Images)
The number of refugees fleeing Syria has increased dramatically since the beginning of this year. More than 400,000 people have become refugees since 1 January.
According to the UN refugee agency, they arrive in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt “traumatised, without possessions and having lost members of their families”.
About half the refugees recorded by the UNHCR office are children, many under the age of 11.
“This [overall] number translates into one million people who are dependent on the generosity of host countries, the response of humanitarian agencies and the financial support of governments and individuals,” continued Guterres.
Syrian refugee children who fled their houses with their parents in Syria to Lebanon sit inside a tent, at a temporary refugee camp in the eastern Lebanese town of Marj. (Image: Hussein Malla/AP/Press Association Images)
The impact on the large number of of refugees in neighbouring countries is severe and the Commissioner said they should be recognised for their “unstinting commitment to keeping their borders open”.
Guterres called for more support for these countries.
In December, the UN’s Regional Response Plan for Syrian Refugees estimated that 1.1 million Syrian refugees would arrive in neighbouring countries by the end of June 2013. UNHCR is in the process of adjusting this plan, in light of the new figures. Currently, it is only about 25 per cent funded.
Without a political solution to the conflict, Guterres said, “at a minimum, humanitarian actors should receive the funds needed to save lives and ease suffering”.
The Syria crisis, which kicked off with a popular uprising against leader Bashar Assad, will be two years old next week.
And there’s a big spooky building up in Dublin, with 166 useless wandering souls, tormenting the entire population in order to assuage for the sins of their previous lives as useless teachers and lecturers. Now that’s pure true.
Yawn
Funny, but assuage does not mean “to atone for something”. Use fancy words, but at least know what they mean.
Hats off to you Ian for my less-than-precise use of the word.
I didn’t know they were all teachers or lecturers.
I love sausages
Seriously can we not have a proper article with some nice halloween spookiness to it without commenters bringing politics into it? It is getting old.
Aoife this is a cool article, Tarquin is a nice chap and his work is brilliant, a few years back I was heavily involved in exploring abandoned places etc and never really felt or seen anything except for maybe one or two places 1. La Touche Hotel in Greystones and 2. The Old Convent in Baltinglass. He is right when he says you need to be open minded.
I vote no to politics.
Agree 100% on La Touche hotel. There’s something not quite right with that place.
I think there is a legend about a former owner Lady la Touche who apparently haunts the place, they had a live radio show one halloween dedicated to it. It is a very odd place alright.
This is not relevant to Ireland but if you ever visit Auschwitz. It’s surreal the atmosphere. I dunno if everyone felt the same way as me but to me was the most intense feeling ever. I did however observe two asian girls bursting into tears as they entered the compound.
I grew up in Greystones and know a lot of people that worked there over the years including siblings of mine. Spent quite a bit of time there too myself during the summer festival etc. I normally don’t buy into ghost stories etc (I always think there’s an explanation) but the stories I’ve heard from people I know well are consistent and disturbing. The feeling I used to get in that place is hard to describe, but it certainly wasn’t a good one. Always felt as though you should be looking over your shoulder.
Agree on Auschwitz too, Patrick. That’s certainly somewhere I never want to go again.
@ Patrick, it was a mind-altering experience, i’ll never forget. People need to visit to understand, words cannot explain it.
Anyone ever notice Dublin bus’s “Ghost Bus Tours” sounds like Ghostbusters?
No? Just me then…
Well, the Busters need to pay their bills too, don’t they *lol*
I’ve been saying it for years, we need a properly run government funded ghostbusters unit.
Did you hear about the 2 gay ghosts? They put the willies up each other :)
I really don’t believe in ghosts but I’ll read any book written by a man called Tarquin.
It was probably an iPhone 5 he was using to call his wife
Don’t believe in ghosts, but would read this!
Sounds very interesting and something I’d love to read. What’s the name of the book? I checked the article but it doesn’t seem to mention the title.
Yeah I was just going to ask the same. Doesn’t seem to give the name of the book anywhere. Or I’m going blind!
http://www.collinspress.ie/haunted-ireland.html
Followed the link and looked around and found this!
Hi, it mentioned it at the end of the piece, but I’ve now also included it at the beginning in case people didn’t read to the end.
Cheers!
What did one ghost say to the other ghost?
Do you believe in people…
Deep man deep
Werewolves of Ossory. The less successful follow up to Werewolves of London.
My dad had an encounter with a female ghost whilst serving in the army in 1943 at rockgrove, little island, cork (its now an industrial estate). He was assigned to clerical work so slept alone in the office, one night he was awoken by a very cold chill looked up to see a woman in old fashioned riding attire who seemingly floated towards him then placed one foot on the locker beside his bed, bend down and stared at him closely, he struck out at her and she disappeared in a ball of smoke.
With the aid of a local priest they investigated the history of the estate and found out that many years before when a local priest was crossing the rockgrove estate bringing the Eucharist to the locals was encountered by the landowner of the estate who was out riding, the owner kicked the Eucharist out of the priests hands and the priest cursed him and all his kin to die tragically.
This landowners daughter was killed off of her horse on the spot where my dad encountered her.
Coincidence ?
Maybe.
I dare you to go and stay the night in the light keepers cottage at Loop Head Lighthouse. Ghostbusters surveyed it and found 24 Ghosts. 14 males and 10 Females. Allegedly one of the ghosts is Enda Kenny’s grandad who was a light keeper there once. Next Friday, being Halloween, should be a great night to stay there. http://imgur.com/gUK72zS
Bring back Most Haunted – and Derek Acora lol
On a side note – does anybody remember many years ago – the BBC did a live Haunted House Event in a family’s home – which was staged – but the TV viewers didn’t know – and was billed as a big haunted house experience –
I remember it affected a lot of people back then – just wondering does anybody else remember this
I do, frightened the bejaysus out of me as a kid would love to know what it was called to see of its on youtube
It was Ghost watch. It’s on YouTube and you can get it on DVD!
I don’t think ghosts exist..I do believe that if enough hype is created about a building or area and you go there,then that is all that’s needed to spook you. Any noise or gust of wind can be a ghost coming up behind you..but then,no-one can prove the existence of ghosts any more than I can disprove them. I just can see how any part of a person is left behind when they die
A good book to read as well would be hungry souls. It’s a Roman Catholic book on purgatory and stories and relics that have survived today that show marks of those left behind from purgatory looking for peoples prayers. Check it out, “hungry souls” .
I ain’t scared of no ghosts (because there aren’t any).
Aoife have you been taking lessons from Neil Jackman on Articles ;-).
Not sure what you mean, Sean? Neil’s articles are fantastic – we both tend to cover Irish history or events, but our articles are different in style. I wish I had his knowledge!
The only ghost I’m afraid is the ghost of the reckless housing boom coming back.
What do ghosts eat? I mean how do they exist ?
It’s all nonsense without any evidence but so many believe it.
I guess around Halloween it’s a bit of fun.
If ghosts could eat they wouldn’t be ghosts =P
David Acora in a haunted house said a spirit was talking to him,he started screaming “Mary loves Dick” several times…Its on YT.
Stuff of nightmares, just like our current government I think !
Hi Tarquin,
In relation to your book ‘Haunted Ireland’, I have some questions regarding your comment about Edward Gill Croker coming to Ireland as part of the New Model army etc. and I would like some clarification on the dates that were mentioned in the book if at all possible. I would really appreciate if you could cite your sources for me about this family.
Many thanks,
Helena Nugent
The one in clonmacnoise was a reflection if what was happening in galway bay due to weather
I’m perplexed as to why otherwise intelligent people can be so credulous.
Aoife have you been taking lessons from Neil Jackman on Articles ;-).
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