UN says 1 million refugees fleeing Syria
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 6 March 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, UN says 1 million refugees fleeing Syria, 6 March 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/513dd1de13.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 06, 2013
The United Nations refugee agency says the number of Syrians who have fled their war-ravaged homeland has hit 1 million since fighting broke out two years ago.
In a statement on March 6, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres said around half of the refugees are children.
With millions more displaced inside Syria, Guterres warned that the country is "spiraling towards full-scale disaster."
Guterres said that "the international humanitarian response capacity is dangerously stretched. This tragedy has to be stopped."
UNHCR warned that the presence of refugees is severely straining the resources of host countries.
Most of them have fled to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, or Egypt.
The UN says an estimated 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
