Jordan to Renew Appeal on Syrian Refugees

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/07/world/middleeast/jordan-to-renew-appeal-on-syrian-refugees.html

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The ambassador to the United Nations from Jordan, the nation thrust into the rotating presidency of a polarized Security Council, said Monday that he would renew his appeal to the 15-member governing body to visit countries that shelter millions of Syrian refugees, including his own, which hosts more than 500,000 Syrians. The ambassador, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, said he had made the request before to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis facing Syria’s neighbors, but received no response. The Council has been deadlocked on Syria, but he declined to ascribe blame. “Being on the Council hopefully will make a difference,” he said. Jordan took the rotating two-year seat after Saudi Arabia rejected it to protest what it saw as the weak stance of Western powers toward Syria and Iran, the Saudis’ chief regional rivals.