The number of refugees fleeing Syria is rising at an alarming rate -- so says the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres.
There are now 1 million registered Syrian refugees outside the country.
Guterres said the number of refugees has gone from 3,000 a day in December to 8,000 a day in February.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, ANTONIO GUTERRES, SAYING:
"So this shows you the staggering escalation that we are witnessing. Now if this escalation goes on - and nothing happens to solve the problem - we might have in the end of the year a much larger number of refugees, two or three times the present level."
The 1 millionth refugee was registered in Jordan on Wednesday, following a dramatic rise in the number of civilians fleeing violence at home.
The U.N. refugee body, the UNHCR, says more than 400,000 people have fled Syria since January 1, 2013 - that's nearly half the total.
Around 50 percent of the total
