SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Angelina Jolie visits Syrian refugees in Lebanon

Angelina Jolie, Hollywood actress and special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, recently travelled to Lebanon to highlight the plight of Syrian refugees.

jolie_cnn_sbs.jpg
(SBS)

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: SBS


Skip to article content

Angelina Jolie, Hollywood actress and special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, recently travelled to Lebanon to highlight the plight of Syrian refugees.

The Oscar winner spent time with five siblings, forced to fend for themselves in a refugee camp in Lebanon. They were orphaned and fled Syria tio escape the conflict.

One of the children Hala, 11, witnessed her mother being crushed and killed after their house collapsed. Her father is still missing and thought to be dead.

The Syrian conflict is now in its fourth year but it's not just Syria that has been greatly affected. The conflict is spilling over into neighbouring Lebanon.

Lebanon is about a tenth the size of Tasmania, but it's sheltering a million Syrian refugees - and there are genuine fears it could collapse under the weight of the massive influx.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

The UNHCR and the Lebanese government have both warned Lebanon simply cannot cope with the present situation without economic and financial support.

The country's foreign minister has warned the crisis is threatening the very existence of Lebanon.

They implored the world to share the burden of Syrian refugees.

"There is not a single country in the world today that is shouldering as much in proportion to its size as Lebanon," said Ninette Kelley, regional representative for Lebanon for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

"If this country is not bolstered, then the very real prospect of it collapsing and the conflict of Syria spreading full force to Lebanon becomes much more likely," she said during a visit to Washington.

Last month, top U.N. officials said that as Syria's grinding conflict enters its fourth bloody year, Syrians are set to replace Afghans as the world's largest refugee population.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world