AUSTRALIA has taken a lead role in Syria's humanitarian crisis amid warnings that if not resolved within months, the world would have to deal with the greatest exodus of refugees since World War II.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr last night took an emergency aid plan to a meeting of European foreign leaders and the Arab League last night, which will see Australia immediately boost its medical and food aid by $24 million for the two million people so far forced from their homes.

Seeking international agreement for a four point Australian plan, Mr Carr said Australia would also offer to help rebuild a future democratic government in the war torn Middle Eastern state, but demanded terrorist groups such as Al Qaida played no role in ruling the country.

The country's extensive chemical weapon stockpile would also have to be secured so that they don't fall into the hands of terrorists.

It is feared that up to 9 million people could be forced to flee their homes before the end of the year if the civil war is not brought to an end.

And Australia would not be spared the ultimate knock on effects of what experts claim would be millions of refugees - the majority of them children - if the regime of Bashar al Assad is not removed

"The Syrian war has become one of the world’s great humanitarian disaster,” Senator Carr told The Daily Telegraph ahead of the meeting.

"It has been described as risking the greatest refugee crisis since World War Two.

"The world is acting through humanitarian aid and nonlethal support to the Syrian opposition. But we need to secure commitments on a future democratic Syria subject to the rule of law."

There must be an absolute exclusion of extremist and jihadist groups such as Al Qaida in Syria's future," said Mr Carr.

An official at the meeting in Luxembourg said: "Its a long way form Australia but there will be knock on effects to other parts of the world."

Mr Carr took the Australian plan to the crisis meeting which would see Australia offer to assist the Syrian opposition forces transition to a new political system when it finally overthrows the regime of Bashar alAssad - which most experts believe now is inevitable.

The $24 million increase to medical and food assistance would come from an existing foreign aid contingency fund and would not impact on the general budget.

It would also offer future assistance in building a new government, re-open schools, re-establish a justice system and ensure the survival of bureaucratic institutions.

In a sign of the deepening concern over the future of the war-torn Middle Eastern state, which has claimed 70,000 lives over three years since the conflict started amid the so called "Arab Spring", Mr Carr has demanded that terrorist groups linked to Al Qaeda and currently involved in the conflict could play no role in any future government.

It would also have to commit to reaching out to the large ethnic Christian populations to form part of a coalition.

To ensure an ever greater refugee crisis isn't created in a campaign of vendetta and persecution of minority groups , the international community would demand that the Syrian opposition does not engage in revenge.

