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Number of Syrian refugees tops 1.5 million - UNHCR

by Reuters
Friday, 17 May 2013 10:04 GMT

Syrian refugee children pose in Al Zaatri refugees camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria, April 30, 2013. REUTERS/ Majed Jaber

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(Adds details on breakdown of refugees)

GENEVA, May 17 (Reuters) - More than 1.5 million people have fled Syria as conditions there deteriorate rapidly, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.

The exodus has accelerated over the past four months and the agency estimates that nearly 1 million refugees have registered since January, U.N. officials said.

"The fact that more than 1.5 million have registered or have appointments with UNHCR sadly means the actual number is much higher," UNHCR said in a statement, without giving an estimate for the total.

"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," it said.

Most of the refugees have fled to neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan where UNHCR said it had counted 470,457 and 473,587 respectively this week.

Syria's population is 23 million. (Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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