UAE to Welcome 15,000 Syrian Refugees Over Next 5 Years

Dubai (PNA/Sputnik) — The UAE minister of state for International Cooperation announced that the country would host 15,000 Syrian refugees in the next five years to share the global responsibility for the Syrian refugee crisis, local media reported Thursday.

Minister Reem bint Ibrahim al Hashemi made the announcement at the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees on Tuesday, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) specified.

“The crisis of refugees and displaced persons, however, is not confined to the Middle East, it is a global phenomenon that requires the attention of the entire international community. The UAE is committed to working with you [international community] to find collective and effective solutions to prevent further escalation of the global refugee crisis,” WAM cited al Hashemi as saying.

Up to 115,000 Syrians have been already living and working in UAE before the Syrian crisis erupted in 2011, she said, adding that for the past five years, 123,000 more Syrians have found shelter in the Emirates.

The United Arab Emirates has provided more than USD750 million to support Syrian refugees over the past five years, mostly in Greece, Iraq and Jordan, the state minister outlined. (PNA/Sputnik) CVL/RSM