Syrian exodus hits record high in January

The exodus of Syrian refugees reached record highs in the month of January, the UN said on Monday, as Syria's opposition coalition was in Paris to appeal for more funds to help them in their struggle to oust President Bashar Al-Assad. More than 125,000 Syrians fled neighbouring countries since the start of the year, the highest number since the 22-month conflict began, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The Jordan Armed Forces said 52,000 Syrians crossed into Jordan in January, according to a report of DPA. In Paris, Syria's opposition coalition met with representatives from about 50 nations and organizations to press them to follow through, on funding pledges. "The international community must give the coalition the means to act on behalf of the Syrian people," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who chaired the meeting, said. The meeting comes two days ahead of a major donor conference set to be held in Kuwait. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the conflict, according to UN estimates.