Syrian war: Western countries to accept more refugees

Western countries have promised to increase the number of Syrian refugees they will accept for resettlement to up to 100,000 over the next few months, the BBC reported, citing the UN refugee agency.

The UNHCR made the announcement at a meeting of member states in Geneva.

The 100,000 figure is still well short of what the UN and aid agencies wanted.

Most refugees - around three-million - are in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. Up until now only about 62,000 have been allowed into Western countries.

The commitment by them to accept more came at the end of a pledging conference in Geneva, during which aid organisations such as Oxfam and Save the Children urged wealthy countries to accept at least 5%, or 180,000, of the most vulnerable refugees from Syria.

The UNHCR said that while it welcomed the new offers of resettlement - it had hoped for more because so many refugees are suffering from ill health and war trauma.

"Twenty-eight countries expressed their solidarity with the Syrian refugees but also with the five neighbouring countries which are hosting them... Offering what we estimate will be more than 100,000 opportunities for resettlement and humanitarian admission," UNHCR head Antonio Guterres told reporters after the conference.