05/22/2013 13:39 GMT

ANKARA, May 22, 2013 (AFP) - Turkish police have arrested six people for planning attacks against Syrian refugees who have sought shelter in border camps, a local governor said on Wednesday.

The suspects -- all of them Turkish nationals -- allegedly plotted "kidnappings and bombing attacks at refugee shelters" in southeastern Hatay province, its governor Celalettin Lekesiz said in televised remarks.

By Erkan Aksu, Turkish Red Crescent, and Giovanni Zambello, IFRC

“We arrived in Turkey about seven months ago” says C. M., 32 years old, who used to work as a farmer in a village near the Syrian city of Latakia. He and his family escaped into Turkey when the bombing started in their village.

“We left our relatives behind, and one of my brothers, who remained in the village, is now looking after our properties and lands. But from here we cannot get any news from them, and we are worried about their lives.”

As of today, there are 193.767 Syrian citizens staying at the 14 Tent Cities, 1 Temporary Admission Centre and 3 Container Cities established by Prime Ministry AFAD for those coming from Syria.

AFAD has erected a total of 14 tent-cities, with 5 in Hatay, 2 in Şanlıurfa, 3 in Gaziantep, and 1 each in Kahramanmaraş, Osmaniye, Adıyaman and Adana along with 3 container-cities with 1each in Kilis, Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep.

By Apostolis Fotiadis

Apostolis Fotiadis interviews Panos Moumtzis, UNHCR regional coordinator for Syrian refugees.

ATHENS, May 18 2013 (IPS) - With no end in sight for the ongoing two-year war in Syria, the ensuing humanitarian crisis continues to escalate, with over 1 million refugees having fled to neighbouring countries and at least another 3 million displaced within Syria.

Highlights

• On 16 May 2013, AFAD - the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency of Government of Turkey announced that the total number of Syrians registered and accommodated in 17 camps in 8 provinces has increased to 194,425 including 336 Syrians receiving medical treatment in hospitals.

The fact that more than 1.5 million people have registered or have appointments with UNHCR means the actual number is much higher. The increasingly widening gap between the needs and resources available is a growing challenge.

IOM provides assistance to internally displaced persons, stranded migrants and third-country refugees inside Syria as well as Syrian refugees, Iraqi and Lebanese returnees and vulnerable host communities in the neighbouring countries of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.

IOM Regional Response to the Syria Crisis Situation Report - 16 May 2013

Food security levels are generally better than a year earlier in East Africa and the Sahel, with most areas facing either IPC phase 1 ‘minimal’ or phase 2 ‘stressed’ conditions, thanks to favorable agro-climatic conditions in 2012.