MIDDLE EAST – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced today that the war in the Middle East constitutes a major humanitarian emergency, emphasizing the need for an immediate response, according to AFP.

Ayaki Eto, Head of the Emergency Section and Regional Refugee Coordinator at UNHCR, told reporters in Geneva:

"The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has declared the escalating crisis in the Middle East a major humanitarian emergency requiring an urgent response across the region."