At the G20 meetings in St. Petersburg, Russia, the US isn’t having much luck in its efforts to convince Russia and other member countries to back military action against Syria.

But there has been a development on another aspect of the crisis: the growing number of refugees fleeing the country. It has now passed two million.

Canada and several other G20 countries have promised to increase aid to refugees in the region. Prime Minister Harper has announced that Canada will contribute another $45-million to the refugee crisis.

The money will provide food, clean water and sanitation, medical assistance, shelter and protection for people in Syria, and refugees in neighbouring countries.

The announcement came shortly after Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird met with British Prime Minister David Cameron, United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, and ministers and officials from five other countries. A more formal meeting of foreign ministers will be held for the first time in G20 history later today.