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UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie urges the world not to forget Iraqi refugees
October 7, 2009
Dear Educator,
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie called Friday on the international community not to forget the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees who remain in exile despite a relative improvement in the security situation in their homeland.
Tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians have returned to their country from Syria and other nearby countries over the past year, but many more are unable or unwilling to return to a country still rocked by violence. As the Iraqi story has largely disappeared from global headlines, so has the plight of the refugees.
Jolie, returning to visit Iraqi refugees in the poorest suburbs of the Syrian capital of Damascus after a 2007 visit, said these refugees still needed vital help and support. "Most Iraqi refugees cannot return to Iraq in view of the severe trauma they experienced there, the uncertainty linked to the coming Iraqi elections, the security issues and the lack of basic services. They will, therefore, be in need of continued support from the international community." Read the full story.
Author Khaled Hosseini says peace vital for sustainable return of Afghan refugeess
Acclaimed author Khaled Hosseini wrapped up a visit to his native Afghanistan in September by highlighting the need for peace to ensure the safe and sustainable return of forcibly displaced Afghan civilians.
"Finding long-term solutions to the Afghan refugee situation, including their sustainable return and successful reintegration, is directly linked to peace and stability across the country," said the former refugee, who was making his second trip here as a Goodwill Envoy to UNHCR.
During his five-day visit, Hosseini met with returnees and displaced Afghans around Kabul and in nearby Parwan province, where the author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns visited UNHCR shelter and reintegration projects. Learn more about Khaled Hosseini's trip to Afghanistan.
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UNHCR/ S. Malkawi 
