High Commissioner for Refugees in Syria region, refugee numbers revised upwards in Turkey

Briefing notes

High Commissioner for Refugees in Syria region, refugee numbers revised upwards in Turkey

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

12 March 2013 Also available in:

High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, is in the region neighbouring Syria this week. Over the past couple of days he has been in Turkey, visiting urban and camp refugees in the Gazantiep region, and meeting government officials. Tomorrow he is travelling to Jordan, and will be visiting the Za'atri camp and a registration site in Irbid, before heading onwards to Lebanon on Thursday and Friday.

An important new development is that Turkey has begun registering Syrian refugees living outside refugee camps and in urban settings. Previously it had included in its official figures only those refugees living in the 17-government run camps - numbering some 186,000 people. 40,000 refugees in urban areas have been registered to date under the new policy with a further 30,000 waiting for appointments to register. A consequence is that the number of registered refugees in Turkey is being revised upwards by some 70,000 people and now stands at 258,200.

During his visit to Turkey the High Commissioner has signed a cooperation agreement with the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Agency (AFAD) to fund 10 registration centres. He also signed an accord with the Turkish Red Crescent on cooperation in logistics, emergency and contingency support to UNHCR's operations globally. UNHCR is funding an additional 18,500 tents through the Red Crescent.

Registration of refugees and camp management are coordinated by AFAD, with operational support from the Turkish Red Crescent and other agencies. UNHCR provides technical advice and assistance.

Including the revised numbers from Turkey, there are now 1,100,579 Syrians in the region who have either registered as refugees or who are being assisted as such. This comprises 340,524 in Jordan, 339,187 in Lebanon, 258,200 in Turkey, 110,663 in Iraq, 43,743 in Egypt, and 8262 in other parts of North Africa.

For further information on this topic, please contact: