The UN's calling the humanitarian crisis in Syria the "great tragedy of this century" as figures reveal there are now two million refugees - half of them are children - and four million have been displaced in the country. The United Nations said the figures are "alarming" and that almost all of them were registered in the last 12 months. The High Commissioner for Refugees described the situation as a "disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history".
The UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that an average of 5,000 Syrians are crossing its borders into neighbouring countries every day to seek safety.
A UNHCR said:
"Syria is haemorrhaging women, children and men who cross borders often with little more than the clothes on their backs."
Paul Forsyth is from World Vision's Emergency Response Team. He's recently returned from Jordan where he's spent three months helping to set up a refugee camp there. He told Premier's News Hour about the reality for families fleeing the conflict:
The UK has committed £348 million to help those affected by the conflict and to the refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq. The money will provide support including food, medical care and relief items.
International Development Secretary Justine Greening said world leaders need to do more:
"I think we need to see a broader international response to the humanitarian support that's required for these refugees.
"The UK's played a leading role but I would like to see more countries involved in that, I would like to see countries stepping up to the plate with more money."
Oenone Chadburn is head of Humanitarian Support at Tearfund. She told Premier of her visit to Lebanon and seeing the refugee crisis first-hand:
The Foreign Secretary William Hague's described the Syrian regime as "callous", accusing it of stopping vital aid getting to civilians.
Mr Hague was scathing about the Assad government:
"It is another testimony to the callousness of this regime towards its own people that not only have they killed so many tens of thousands but they also obstruct the delivery of aid, including medical supplies, to people in their own country who desperately need it."
The milestone of refugees has been reached as France says it has evidence that forces loyal to the Syrian president carried out a "massive and co-ordinated" chemical attack in Damascus last month. A nine-page document has apparently been drawn up by France's intelligence services and the French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said no-one should be in any doubt. Israel said it's conducted a joint missile test with the United States in the Mediterranean to test its defence systems.
The move comes as US politicians are expected to debate next week whether America should punish Syria for allegedly using chemical weapons. America claims to have evidence President Assad did use chemical weapons, something the Syrian leader denies.
However, President Obama said he's confident he can secure the backing of Congress for military action. He said he's serious about consulting with Congress over planned missile strikes aimed at punishing Syria's leader.
Speaking at the White House he said:
"So long as we are accomplishing what needs to be accomplished which is to send a clear message to Assad, degrading his capabilities to use chemical weapons, as long as the authorisation allows us to do that I'm confident that we are going to be able to come up with something that hits that mark."
The Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Revd Anthony Priddis, said firing cruise missiles is not the answer.
In his blog he writes:
"With so many areas of the Middle East inter-twined, military intervention would carry the huge risk of escalating and having unforeseen consequences.
"Action in one country is always likely to affect others, and lead to yet more persecution of Christians and other minorities, among other things.
"In the meantime suffering continues. Diplomatic pressure and world outrage may not yet be very effective, but we must continue to encourage our politicians and others to exert all the pressure that they can to assist the suffering Syrians."