ANKARA
U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will send a delegation of senior U.S. officials to Turkey to discuss the humanitarian situation for Syrian shelter seekers.
Statement released from the U.S. Department of State said, throughout the trip, the delegation will meet with senior government and humanitarian officials, the Syrian Opposition Council and others to discuss the humanitarian situation in and around Syria and ways the United States can provide additional support.
It added, "The delegation includes: Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Anne C. Richard; USAID Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, Nancy Lindborg; and Ambassador Robert Ford."
Starting from Wednesday and continues till Friday, the delegation will come together with representatives from international humanitarian and non-governmental organizations to discuss assistance for Syrian refugees.
The statement said, "They will also visit a Syrian refugee camp. In addition, the delegation will meet with Turkish government officials and members of the Syrian Opposition Coalition."
Previously, the U.S. Department of State announced that the delegation would head to Jordan after their visit to Turkey.
Furthermore, U.S. Embassy in Damascus shared the message of U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford as saying, "I am pleased to announce that I will be visiting the region this week with colleagues from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. We will visit Turkey and Jordan to see the conditions of Syrian refugees. At the same time, we will sit with governments, international organizations and NGOs working to help the Syrian refugees."
In addition, Ford said, "I also hope to have the opportunity to meet with many Syrians and hear directly from them about their circumstances."
Ambassador Ford stressed that last week when he was in Jordan, while watching tv he saw a news story about a young girl who passed away due to bitter cold and he added, he was deeply affected. He said, "American people's hearts are with the Syrians."
Lastly, Ford said, "We, Americans are determined to continue doing everything we can to help the Syrian people in these difficult circumstances. I hope the Syrian people understand that we are all aware how harsh the situation is and that we will undertake further measures with our partners in the international community to help the Syrian people."
