UN refugee agency says more than 2m have fled Syria

More than two million Syrians are now
refugees, with the total going up by half a
million in the past three months, the UN
refugee agency has said.
More than 700,000 have fled to Lebanon, and
more Syrians are now displaced than any other
nationality, the UNHCR says.
France and the US are continuing to push for
military action over alleged chemical weapons
use by Syrian forces.
Senior US politicians are set to speak before a
congressional committee later to rally support
for intervention.
The UNHCR said in a statement on Tuesday:
"Syria is haemorrhaging women, children and
men who cross borders often with little more
than the clothes on their backs."
Around half of those forced to leave are
children, UN agencies estimate, with about
three-quarters of them under 11.
Just 118,000 refugee children have been able
to continue in some sort of education, and
only one-fifth have received some sort
counselling, with agencies warning of a "lost
generation" of child refugees ill-equipped to
help rebuild Syria in the future.
Lebanon has received the highest number of
refugees, even though it is the smallest of
Syria's neighbours and one of the least able to
cope.
There is now thought to be one Syrian refugee
in Lebanon to roughly every six Lebanese.
Jordan and Turkey have taken in the second
and third highest numbers respectively.
Pointing out that more than 97% of Syria's
refugees are being hosted by countries in the
surrounding region, the UNHCR said the influx
was "placing an overwhelming burden on their
infrastructures, economies and societies".
It once again appealed for "massive
international support" to help neighbouring
countries deal with the crisis.