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 alleged¹ chemical weapons use by Syrian forces.

 

Senior US politicians are set to speak before a congressional committee later, to rally support for intervention².

 

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 of 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 influx³ was "placing an overwhelming burden on their infrastructures⁴, economies and societies".

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