Jordan's Queen Rania Al Abdullah on Monday called for a collective global response to the growing refugee crisis.

The Queen made the remarks during a visit to the Kara Tepe refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos on Monday as advocate for the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

"This is an exceptional crisis and it requires an exceptional response. It requires a response that is collective and that is value-based, a response that is built on burden sharing not burden shifting," she said.

Queen Rania noted that the responsibility for the refugee crisis cannot be defined by geography.

She also highlighted the urgent need to find legal and safe alternatives for refugees, who have fled their war-ravaged countries and are struggling to seek asylum.

The Queen said that donor support must be increased for over-stretched humanitarian organizations like the IRC and countless others "that have become the only lifeline for refugees at a time of limited asylum opportunities."

The IRC began its operations in Lesbos in July 2015, delivering clean water and sanitation in several refugee transit sites, and providing refugees with much-needed information about the registration process.

While Lesbos is only a transit point on the route to mainland Europe, organizations like the IRC have been instrumental in providing humanitarian aid to refugees during their journey.  

Source:
courtesy of XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

by Xinhua News Agency

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