The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that the number of Syrian refugees has tripled since April and now stands at 112,000, a UN spokesman told reporters on Tuesday.

"The UN refugee agency said on Tuesday that the number of Syrian refugees that it has registered or assisted in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey has almost tripled since April to 112,000," said Eduardo del Buey, deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary- general Ban Ki-moon, at a daily news briefing. "These are mostly women and children."

He also noted that according to UNHCR, the actual number of Syrian refugees is thought to be significantly higher, as many people seek to be registered only when they run out of resources.

UNHCR is grateful that Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey have maintained open borders, and that refugees are being welcomed, said the spokesman.

"However, two weeks after the launch of the Regional Response Plan for Syrian Refugees, only 26 percent is funded," del Buey said. "UNHCR and its partners warn that this low level of funding is having a profound impact on the humanitarian support being offered in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey."

With more and more refugees fleeing from the conflict in Syria, UNHCR and more than 40 humanitarian organizations have appealed for nearly 200 million US dollars to help meet the needs of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.