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E-mail Xinhua, July 31, 2012
GENEVA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- More than 124,000 Syrian refugees forced to flee the country have been registered with the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) as violence in the country continues, the agency's spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
With armed violence in Aleppo, Syria's most populous city, escalating, an estimated 200,000 people fled the city and the surrounding areas over the weekend, said Melissa Fleming.
Besides neighboring countries, up to 25,000 displaced Syrians are seeking refuge in Algeria, while many of who were taking shelter in public places and schools and only 70 people have approached UNHCR office there, she added.
The numbers of Syrian refugees also continued to rise in the four neighboring countries, namely Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey.
Governments and UN agencies have been strengthening their efforts to help Syrian refugees, with new camps being opened and more assistance being provided, she said.
However, the spokesperson also warned that continued lack of funding would have a profound impact on their ability to respond to refugee needs.
UN agencies have jointly appealed for 193 million U.S. Dollars for a regional refugee response plan to help Syrian refugees, while at the moment, only 33 percent was covered, Fleming said. Enditem
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