A/HRC/21/32 were targeting humanitarian workers. The Government attributed an attack made on 13 June 2012 on a convoy of ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, which was targeted by an explosive device that wounded three workers, to “terrorist armed groups”. The Government added that, in June 2012, it had made several attempts to give ICRC access to areas in Homs controlled by “terrorist armed groups” to evacuate sick and wounded persons, the elderly, women, children and those with special needs, and to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid. According to the Government, “terrorist armed groups” refused to evacuate sick or wounded persons or to allow humanitarian assistance, and had targeted the humanitarian workers in the area for three weeks, until the Syrian National Reconciliation Committee, in coordination with relevant stakeholders, succeeded in evacuating 92 civilians. The Government stated that those who remained were used as human shields by “terrorist armed groups” that disregarded their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. 34. In June 2012, humanitarian actors reported that the implementation of a humanitarian ceasefire negotiated in Homs and Deir el-Zour with the parties to the conflict to allow the evacuation of civilians and bodies and the delivery of humanitarian and medical assistance had not been successful, with both parties not suspending hostilities as planned. C. Refugees outside the Syrian Arab Republic 35. In paragraph 10 of resolution 19/22, the Human Rights Council invited all relevant United Nations agencies, in particular the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to provide support to Syrian refugees and neighbouring countries hosting them. 36. As a result of the conflict, the refugee flow to countries neighbouring the Syrian Arab Republic continued unabated during the reporting period. The number of refugees has doubled since my previous report to the Human Rights Council. According to the Syria Regional Refugee Response compiled by UNHCR,1 a total of 119,618 Syrian refugees, of whom 75 per cent are women and children, were receiving assistance in neighbouring countries at 19 July 2012 (42,682 in Turkey, 36,450 in Jordan, 32,486 in Lebanon and 8,000 in Iraq). UNHCR also reported that, owing to the increasing concern about the situation, more than 13,000 Iraqi refugees left the Syrian Arab Republic in the first half of 2012, most returning to Iraq.2 37. Syrians escaping the conflict increasingly sought shelter beyond the region. In Europe, the number of Syrian asylum seekers markedly increased. According to UNHCR, as at 20 July 2012, some 12,000 Syrian asylum applications had been submitted for European countries.3 38. A revised refugee response plan was launched on 28 June 2012 to help Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries. As at 19 July, only 26 per cent of total needs were funded, putting host countries under considerable strain. In addition, an estimated 1 million internally displaced persons were reported in the Syrian Arab Republic as at the same date. 1 2 3 10 See https://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Humanitarian Bulletin, Syria, No. 3, 5 July 2012. Ibid., No.5, 20 July – 3 August 2012.