Syria refugees top 500,000, UNHCR says
- 11 years ago
The plight for Syrian refugees is becoming increasingly dire by the day.
On Tuesday, the United Nations refugee agency, or UNHCR, said more than half a million refugees from Syria are now registered or are awaiting registration in the region - and that number is spiking daily.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) UNHCR SPOKESPERSON, MELISSA FLEMING, SAYING:
"These numbers are currently climbing to about 3,000 a day. That is 3,000 people are being registered a day as refugees, either because they're coming across the borders, or because they're coming forward in these exile countries."
Lebanon is now host to over 150,000, while Jordan and Turkey both have around 140,000 refugees who have fled the 20-month-old conflict.
But the number of those who've left Syria amid President Bashar al-Assad's bloody crackdown could be much higher, as many who've crossed the borders into neighbouring countries haven't yet come forward to register for refugee status and assistance.
On Tuesday, the United Nations refugee agency, or UNHCR, said more than half a million refugees from Syria are now registered or are awaiting registration in the region - and that number is spiking daily.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) UNHCR SPOKESPERSON, MELISSA FLEMING, SAYING:
"These numbers are currently climbing to about 3,000 a day. That is 3,000 people are being registered a day as refugees, either because they're coming across the borders, or because they're coming forward in these exile countries."
Lebanon is now host to over 150,000, while Jordan and Turkey both have around 140,000 refugees who have fled the 20-month-old conflict.
But the number of those who've left Syria amid President Bashar al-Assad's bloody crackdown could be much higher, as many who've crossed the borders into neighbouring countries haven't yet come forward to register for refugee status and assistance.