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Syrian refugees flee to the Turkish border to escape an upsurge of violence on Wednesday.

The situation in Syria is getting worse, says the United Nations.

A UN spokesman said 1.5 million Syrians are now in need of humanitarian assistance, up from their previous estimate of 1 million.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) OCHA SPOKESPERSON, JENS LAERKE, SAYING:

"The figure is going up because the situation is deteriorating. There is ongoing violence that we see, that violence also hinders us as humanitarian workers to get to those in need,"

Meanwhile, Swedish, Bulgarian and Polish foreign ministers meet with politicians in Beirut in an E.U.-backed effort to prevent the Syrian conflict from spreading into Lebanon.

Lebanon has seen clashes between supporters and opponents of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with its border region used by fleeing rebels to smuggle arms into Syria.

Syria's northern neighbor, Turkey, has also become a flashpoint for those seeking refuge from the ongoing crisis.

More than 10,000 people have been killed in the 15-month-old crisis in Syria and at least half a million have been internally displaced.

Sarah Sheffer, Reuters