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Syrian refugees total now more than 1.5m - UNHCR

Other News Materials 18 May 2013 02:29 (UTC +04:00)
The UN's refugee agency has said that more than 1.5 million people have fled the conflict in Syria.
Syrian refugees total now more than 1.5m - UNHCR

The UN's refugee agency has said that more than 1.5 million people have fled the conflict in Syria, BBC reported.

Most have fled to Jordan and Lebanon, but not have all been registered yet, meaning the true total is likely to be far higher, according to the UNHCR.

The situation inside Syria has deteriorated dramatically over the past four months, according to the agency.

The UN estimates that 80,000 people have died in the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

It says some 4.25 million have been displaced within the country.

"Refugees tell us the increased fighting and changing of control of towns and villages, in particular in conflict areas, results in more and more civilians deciding to leave," UNHCR said in a statement.

The UNHCR says it has registered a million refugees since the beginning of this year alone, and that "the widening gap between the needs and resources available is a growing challenge".

Early next month, UNHCR and non-governmental organizations are due to launch a "revised funding appeal" for the Syrian crisis.

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