The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday reported that many of the more than 170,000 people who have fled to Turkey from the besieged Syrian town of Kobane are seeking shelter in other parts of Syria or in Iraq.
"In Iraq's Kurdistan Region, more than 1,600 people have sought refuge at the remote Gawilan refugee camp, some 145 kilometers from Dohuk, over the past fortnight. Between 150 and 200 Syrians have been arriving daily this week, and the trend is expected to continue in the coming days," UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards told a press conference in Geneva.
He noted that Syrians arriving in northern Iraq are being brought by Kurdish security forces to the Gawilan camp, which was set up a year ago to house waves of Syrian refugees, mainly from Aleppo and Qamishli. The camp is being run by the Kurdistan regional government and had been hosting about 2,500 people before the latest influx.
"The vast majority of the new arrivals are women and children, as many men stayed behind to protect properties and defend their land," Edwards said.
In Turkey, government officials said more than 172,500 Syrians fleeing Kobane and environs have entered the country over the last few weeks. While the vast majority of these fled in the first few days of the influx, a steady stream continues. Average daily arrivals through the Yumurtalik border crossing number around 570 people over the past few days.
However, some of the people from the Kobane area have been crossing back into north-eastern Syria from Turkey near Qamishli. Some 1,750 people are now staying with relatives and friends in several towns in the Syrian province of Al Hasakah.