Ewan McGregor in tears after visiting Iraq refugee camp
Meeting refugees displaced by the conflicts in Iraq and Syria was "mind-bending", actor Ewan McGregor has said, telling ITV News that he has "never felt more confused and upset" by what he had seen.
In his role as an ambassador for Unicef, he met families at the Debaga camp in northern Iraq to see how the violence in the two countries have affected the lives of children.
Tens of thousands of children in Iraq and Syria have been killed, injured, separated from their parents, forced into work, tortured or recruited into fighting and the situation is becoming increasingly desperate.
The threat of the so-called Islamic State group is causing families to leave everything behind and escape to refugee camps.
Speaking to ITV News, the Hollywood actor became emotional as he described families who had lost everything and were now living in camps, but all that mattered to them was that they were still together.
The 45-year-old spoke of one father who had decided to leave behind everything and flee with his family after his sons were tortured.
He said: "The world is facing an unprecedented refugee crisis and we must do more to protect the extraordinary number of children who have been torn from their homes by violent conflict."
McGregor hit out at what he said was the use of refugees for "political gains".
People are not fleeing their homes "because they think they can get money out of our government in Britain, but because there's no other choice".
He also told of stories of people running through sniper fire with children and crossing rivers with babies.
McGregor praised Unicef's "awe inspiring work" and the "amazing people" who carry it out.
He added although the problems in Syria and Iraq are "huge", the charity covers all areas of response, from delivering life-saving food, clean water and vaccines, to providing education and psychological support, to working with governments and ensuring that children in the camps have somewhere to play and be children.
McGregor told of one instance where hundred of children queued up to take turns on a bouncy castle in a camp.
Unicef UK Executive Director Mike Penrose said ensuring children can be with their family "can provide a small sense of stability and normality in times of huge trauma and upheaval".
McGregor said one girl told him how her family had slept in a disused, half-constructed shopping mall for over a year.
In September world leaders will meet to discuss the global refugee crisis at two summits in New York.
"It is our human responsibility to help", the actor added.