“It is an overwhelming emergency. It overwhelms the humanitarian community at large. It overwhelms the local population and the governments that are receiving them (Syrian refugees),” Amin Awad said on Wednesday.
The UN official said 15 percent of the refugees are living in camps and 85 percent of them are living in host communities.
Awad also stated that the refugees put an “incredible strain and impact” on the host communities.
The UN official said the number of people displaced by the conflict in Syria is expected to nearly double from some 3.5 million to 6.5 million by the end of the current year.
He added that around 2.5 million Syrians have already sought refuge in neighboring countries.
On Wednesday, the Committee of National Reconciliation said over 1,200 Syrian families had returned home in the town of Muadamiyat al-Sham, south of the country, following a ceasefire deal between the Syrian army and foreign-backed militants.
In September 2013, a British defense study conducted by IHS Jane’s showed that about 100,000 militants, fragmented into 1,000 groups, are operating against the Syrian government.
Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, Western powers and their regional allies - especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey - are supporting the militants operating inside the country.
According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the turmoil.
NTJ/NJF