Syria: Violence causes '150,000' to seek refuge

Geneva, 9 Aug. (AKI) - Almost 150,000 Syrian refugees have fled to bordering countries in the last 17 months, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHRC).

A recent esculation in violence in the city of Aleppo has prompted thousands of people to seek refuge in nieghoring countries like Tyurkey, UNHRC spokesman Adran Edwards told reporters in Geneva on Friday.

There certainly in the past week has been a sharp increase in the numbers arriving in Turkey, and there many of the people are coming from Aleppo and surrounding villages," he said during a press briefing at the agency headquarters.

A third of the Siryan refugees fled to Turkey, whilst the others went to Libya, Jordan and Iraq.

More than 20,000 people have died during violence that started with a government crackdown on anti-government protests in March 2011.

As of late Thursday, there were 45,869 Syrian refugees registered in Jordan, 36,841 in Lebanon and 13,587 in Iraq - which has also seen the return of 23,228 Iraqis from Syria since 18 July, the UNHRC agency said.

"Nell'ultima settimana si e' registrata una drammatica impennata

negli arrivi in Turchia - ha spiegato il portavoce dell'Unhcr, Adran

Edwards - Molti dei profughi provengono da Aleppo e dai villaggi

vicini".