Ankara, Jan 6 (IANS): The UN refugee chief Tuesday warned that the number of people displaced due to conflicts has hit the highest point since World War II.

Antonio Guterres, UN high commissioner for refugees, made the comments during a conference of Turkish ambassadors held in capital Ankara, Xinhua reported.

Some 51.2 million people were forcibly displaced after World War II in line with figures released at the end of 2013, Guterres said.

Some 13 million people were displaced fleeing the ongoing clashes in Syria, the UN refugee agency chief said, noting that two million people fled Iraq.

He welcomed Turkey's efforts for hosting over 1.6 million refugees, saying that the country was considered a "power for humanitarian assistance".

Along with Pakistan, Turkey is hosting the highest number of refugees on its territory, he said.

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara has spent over $4 billion on the refugees so far and the country only took $150 million from international donors.

Turkey has been calling for the establishment of a buffer zone in Syria and Iraq for providing care for the refugees rather than doing so inside Turkey. It also seeks to set up a no-fly zone over the protected area.