Number of displaced in Syria to nearly double by 2014 end: UN

The number of people displaced by the raging civil war in Syria is expected to nearly double to 6.5 million by the end of 2014, according to a top UN official.

Nearly 2.5 million others have already sought refuge in neighbouring countries, including Lebanon and Turkey, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) Regional Coordinator for Syria Amin Awad told reporters here yesterday.

Awad said the number of people displaced is expected to nearly double to 6.5 million by the end of the year from the current figure of 3.5 million.

He said the total funding sought for refugees is 2.4 billion dollars and internally displaced persons (IDPs) for 2014 totals 4.2 billion dollars.

"That's a big amount of money," he said.

"There are 155 agencies, UN and non-governmental organisations (involved)."

The estimates came close on the heels of a UN report that said Syrian children have been subjected to "unspeakable" suffering in the nearly three years of civil war, with the government and allied militia responsible for countless killings, maiming and torture, and the opposition for recruiting youngsters for combat and using terror tactics in civilian areas.

Awad said major targets of the funding needed for Syria are protection, education and shelter for the displaced.

About 85 per cent of the refugees were not staying in camps but with host communities, putting an "incredible strain and impact" on these communities, given their meagre resources, employment and services, he said, calling it an "overwhelming emergency".

UNHCR planned to boost its support for them, he added.

Besides the IDPs, there are another three million people inside Syria in desperate need for help and among the refugees, there are 8,000 children who have been separated from their families, Awad said.

A UNHCR breakdown of refugees by country showed 900,000 in Lebanon, 600,000 in Turkey, 590,000 in Jordan, 215,000 in northern Iraq, 135,000 in Egypt, 20,000 in North Africa, and 30,000 in other countries.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on all sides to stop all grave violations against children cited in the report, end all indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on civilian areas, including terror tactics, airstrikes, chemical weapons and heavy artillery, allow unimpeded humanitarian access, and immediately release abducted women and children.