Guterres voices concern over Belarus-Poland border situation

United Nations, Nov 11 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the situation at the Belarus-Poland border, where thousands of migrants and refugees are stuck in cold weather, said his spokesman.

The Secretary-General reiterates the importance of ensuring that migration and refugee issues are dealt with according to humanitarian principles and international law. Such situations should not be used for political purposes and become a cause of tension between states, Xinhua news agency quoted spokesman Stephane Dujarric as saying.

The spokesman also referred to the remarks by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who said that she was appalled at the large number of migrants and refugees who continue to be left in a desperate situation in near-freezing temperatures at the border, and that governments in the region cannot allow more lives to be lost.

Overnight temperatures at the border have fallen below freezing and some of the stranded people stranded have warned they are running out of food and water.

This crisis comes amid an escalating international row as the EU, and now NATO and the US, have accused Belarus's authoritarian leader of provoking a renewed migrant crisis in Europe.

Many of the migrants are young men but there are also women and children, mostly from the Middle East and Asia.

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