"The current cooler, windy weather has made the crossing from Turkey to Greece even more perilous. On Wednesday there were four separate rescue operations on Lesvos in which 283 people were recovered," a UNHCR statement said.
The UNHCR is planning for a total of at least 1.4 million migrants and refugees to flee to Europe across the Mediterranean this year and next, it said on Thursday.
"It`s very clear it`s a continuing very large-scale emergency," Edwards said.
He declined to comment on whether the UNHCR expected Russian air strikes in Syria to hasten or hinder efforts to end the war in Syria, which is the single biggest cause of the refugee crisis.
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