Annan spoke after warning Tuesday of a dramatic rise in the number of Syrian refugees fleeing into Turkey. The average number of refugees fleeing each day has risen from 96 to more than 700 in recent days. In a briefing to the U.N. Security Council, the top U.N. official in Baghdad said the conflict in Syria could have “spillover effects” in Iraq.

Martin Kobler: “Continued violence in Syria is fraught with risks that could have dangerous spillover effects on Iraq. It could affect the fragile balance of power and increase communal tensions in Iraq. In addition, the violence in Syria has already started to affect Iraqi refugees in Syria. The U.N. country team has therefore undertaken extensive contingency planning to mitigate possible occurrences.”