65,000 people have fled Syria violence: UN

BEIRUT: More than 65,000 Syrians have fled the bloody crackdown by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime on an uprising against his rule, with most going to Turkey and Lebanon, the United Nations says.

A weekly update posted on the UN refugee agency (UNHCR)'s Syria Regional Refugee Response web page says there are 65,070 Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries -- 49,193 of whom have registered with the UN and 15,877 others who are waiting to do so.

There are 23,942 Syrian refugees in Turkey, 22,000 in Lebanon, 15,999 in Jordan and 3,129 in Iraq, according to the UNHCR.

The United Nations says more than 9,000 people have died since a revolt erupted against the Assad regime in March last year, while non-government groups put the figure at more than 11,100.