Jordan has disputed a U.N. report that 12,000 Syrian refugees have amassed in a remote desert area on the kingdom's border, waiting to be let in.<br />Government spokesman Mohammed Momani said late Tuesday that "the number is exaggerated," but did not give an alternative figure.<br />The U.N. refugee agency says the number of refugees stranded on the border tripled to 12,000 since November because of intensifying fighting in Syria.<br />It has appealed to Jordan to allow them to enter, saying lives are at risk.<br />Jordan hosts 630,000 of the more than 4 million Syrian refugees.<br />Since mid-2013, the kingdom has restricted the influx, citing among other things security concerns.<br />Momani says that "our borders are open for refugees" and that "we take care of humanitarian cases, particularly children and women."
