dynamicafrica:

The head of the UN refugee agency has called on leaders meeting at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland to keep sight of humanitarian crises around the world as they seek solutions to economic troubles in other parts of the globe.

Antonio Guterres, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said on Friday that economic turmoil was fueling conflicts around the world and hurting those already hard-hit.

“When prices go up and unemployment goes up, tensions increase and more conflicts are triggered, more people are victims of war in different parts of the world,” he told The Associated Press news agency. 

“These people suffer enormously.”

Guterres was speaking on the sidelines of the WEF in Davos, Switzerland, where about 40 heads of government and leader’s from the world’s biggest companies have gathered to discuss issues ranging from the eurozone crisis to Iran’s nuclear programme and other issues.

Guterres, who is at the Davos summit to ask for further financial aid for the UN’s aid effort, has asked for “massive support” from the international community to assist hundreds of thousands of refugees, particularly in Sudan and South Sudan.

More than 350,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes in three states in Sudan and South Sudan, according to the UN agency.

Two of the states - South Kordofan and Blue Nile - are in Sudan, while the third - Jonglei - is in the world’s newest nation.

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