The European Union needs to prepare for a humanitarian crisis in Syria with the potential for displacing huge numbers of people, Cyprus, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, said Wednesday.

Cyprus has put the topic on the agenda for talks in Nicosia on Monday and Tuesday between home affairs ministers.

In a discussion paper ahead of the talks, the Cypriot presidency said more than 100,000 Syrians displaced by the conflict had been registered so far in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey.

An EU official said the decision to discuss the issue was "an important signal" that the 27 EU nations will need to take political decisions regarding the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

[Source: AFP]