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Secretary Kerry Meets International Humanitarian Agency Heads
3 MINUTE READ
July 23, 2013

Remarks by Secretary of State John Kerry Before the Meeting of International Humanitarian Agency Heads

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and International Humanitarian Agency Heads address reporters at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on July 23, 2013.
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
July 23, 2013

Well, good morning. I’m just going to say very quickly what a privilege it is for me to be here with leaders of the United Nations and international organizations, all of whom are critical to our efforts to try to relieve humanitarian crisis, and particularly the crisis of refugees right now in Syria. We are having a very difficult time being able to access people, move people correctly, and protect people. So we intend to have a very solid, in-depth discussion today about creative ways that we can meet our obligations to human beings who are in huge danger and distress.

I want to say how grateful the government of the United States of America is for the courage of the people who work with all of these organizations. I was in the Zaatari camp in Jordan, which is overloaded with people from Syria, just two days ago. I saw firsthand, as I have previously in other places, the dramatic and unbelievably moving ways in which people are separated from homes, from family; so many people murdered, killed – massacres. And yet, somehow, these people try to pull themselves together. They need the help of the world, and it’s my privilege to meet today with the people who are providing that help.

Thank you. So we’re going to go meet – we’re going to go meet – thank you.