Long-distance call: a Syrian refugee attempts to find a signal to make mobile-phone calls, at Al Zaatri refugee camp in Mafraq, Jordan, near the Syria border, last week. On Wednesday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, reported that the number of Syrians either registered as refugees or being assisted as such had now reached one million (Comment, 1 March). "Syria is spiralling towards full-scale disaster. . . This tragedy has to be stopped," Mr Guterres said