Obama: 50 countries to take in 360,000 refugees this year
US President Barack Obama has announced a pledge by 50 nations to take in 360,000 refugees from war-torn countries this year.
He told the United Nations General Assembly that world leaders, notably Germany and Canada, have vowed to double the number from last year.
"We are facing a crisis of epic proportion," Mr Obama said.
About 21 million refugees have been forced to flee their countries due to conflict or persecution, the UN says.
Nine million people alone have been displaced by the six-year conflict in Syria while more than four million others have fled the war-torn country.
"We cannot avert our eyes or turn our backs. To slam the door in the face of these families would betray our deepest values," he added.
The US has agreed to take in 110,000 new refugees in the 2017 fiscal year - which begins on 1 October- compared with the 85,000 refugees it expects by the end of September.
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