Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, millions of people have either sought refuge in neighboring nations or have had to leave their homes to find shelter inside the country. As the conflict continues, conditions for civilians become more dire.

An uptick in refugees began in 2013, when more than 1 million streamed out of Syria in the first half of the year. Nearly three-quarters of the refugees are women and children. About 60 percent of all refugees live outside camps. A July 2013 UN report listed issues facing refugees both in and out of camps: children not attending school, recruitment by armed groups, labor exploitation, early marriage, domestic and sexual violence — in addition to the challenge of providing adequate shelter, food and hygiene facilities. The report called for a less “reactive” solution and more long-term strategy for handling refugees.

Human Rights Watch is reporting that some refugees, such as Palestinians or men of military age, are being held back at border crossings. (Close to half a million Palestinian refugees were living in Syria at the start of the uprising.) In August 2013, HRW said 200 Palestinian asylum seekers were barred from crossing the Syria-Lebanon border.

Inside Syria, an estimated 6.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 4.25 million internally displaced people. Syrians' access to health care, water and sanitation is steadily declining; food and fuel supplies are limited; and prices are rising, as is unemployment.

Numbers of internally displaced people have not been updated recently and only 4 percent of the displaced population are living in camps — most are staying in homes with other families, and are difficult to count. In June, the Syrian government reported that 800,000 had returned to their places of origin.