The number of Syrians seeking refuge in neighboring countries has grown by 10,000 since June 21, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its newest situation update issued on July 6.

The total number of Syrian refugees in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey has reached 103,000, according to the inter-agency body which also serves non-government organization (NGOs) in the humanitarian domain.

Inside Syria, thousands of families have been displaced during the past two weeks due to intensified fighting in rural Damascus, Deir-ez-Zor and Homs, said OCHA.

It added that many residents of rural Damascus have fled to central Damascus, including those who were sheltering there after being displaced from other regions.

With more refugees running out from the conflict, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and more than 40 humanitarian organizations have appealed for nearly $200 million to assist Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

These humanitarian groups originally put up an appeal in March for $84.1 million to help these neighboring countries to accommodate Syrian refugees.

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2012)