The number of Syrian refugees in Turkey could reach 200,000 as the conflict deepens, with thousands of others fleeing to Jordan, Lebanon or Iraq, the UN's refugee agency said yesterday.

"The increase in the number of Syrians arriving in Turkey has been dramatic. Compared to previous weeks in which we saw about 400 to 500 people arriving a day, we've been seeing peaks of up to 5000 people in one day over the past two weeks," a UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokeswoman said.

A growing number of children without parents are arriving in camps, and refugees from the southern Syrian province of Deraa have reported being bombed by aircraft or shelled.

"We are looking at up to 200,000 and are working with the Turkish Government to make the necessary plans," the UNHCR said. This figure would include the more than 74,000 Syrian refugees already registered in Turkey, which is building five more camps in addition to the existing nine.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu suggested the UN may need to create a safe zone inside Syria.

Overall, 214,120 Syrians have been registered in four neighbouring countries – Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey. The UN says almost 70,000 refugees have registered in Jordan; more than 54,000 have registered in Lebenon; and about 16,000 in Iraq.