Fatih Erel
October 01, 2015•Update: October 02, 2015
GENEVA
Hollywood actor and United Nations Children's Fund Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom visited to the Gevgelija migrant transit camp in Macedonia on Tuesday, United Nations' Children's Fund, UNICEF has said.
As part of his role as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, "Bloom has called for greater protection for tens of thousands of refugee and migrant children as they continue their journeys to seek safety in Europe," UNICEF said in a statement issued Wednesday.
Bloom met children in a refugee and migrant reception center near Gevgelija in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, at the border with Greece, UNICEF said.
"He listened to stories of their perilous journeys, their concerns and hopes for the future. Many of them have escaped violence in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq," UNICEF said.
Bloom was quoted as saying: "These children have travelled through one of the deadliest refugee and migrant routes in the world. I talked to children who endured terrifying journeys, often in extreme weather conditions and for many, walking in the only shoes and clothes they have. They are being shuttled from one authority to another, crossing numerous borders, uncertain of the risks ahead. If they arrive safely at their final destination, they still fear an uncertain future. We need to protect and support them.”
According to UNICEF, almost 100,000 people -- with one third children and women -- have been registered at the border at Gevgelija town in last four months.
About 320,000 women and children fleeing to Europe could be in need of assistance over the next six months, UNICEF estimates.
