Jordan: $700m plea for Syrian refugees

Jordan and the UN's refugee agency have issued an urgent call to international donors for $700m to handle the rising number of Syrian refugees seeking safe haven in the country.

Jordanian Planning Minister Jafaar Hassan said the money would be used to assist 240,000 refugees and other Syrians in Jordan. He said they are an added drain on the country's already overburdened water and energy resources.

Some 5,000 Syrians crossed into Jordan in a 24-hour period earlier this week, adding to the more than 180,000 living in the kingdom to escape their homeland's civil war. AP