DAMASCUS Medical Care
During the night of November 8 about 1,000 refugees crossed
into Jordan – double the average daily arrival rate seen in the past few months. The increase arose amid reports of intensified fighting in southern Syria. In the past six months there have been 16 instances when around or over 1,000 Syrian refugees crossed into Jordan in a single night. The flood of refugees has strained the resources of the
Turkey. The number of Syrian refugees in the region registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (or in the registration process) continues to grow and is 461,164 people as of November 27, 2012. By early 2013 this number is expected to reach about 710,000 people. Depending on sources, the estimated number of refugees not
registering with UNHCR is in the tens or hundreds of thousands in the region. On average, some 2,000 to 3,000 refugees per day have crossed into neighboring countries over recent weeks. Three quarters of refugees are women and children, many of whom have suffered terrible violence before they could flee.
In Lebanon 133,349 Syrian refugees are registered with UNHCR or are
awaiting registration in Lebanon as of November 28, 2012. Other refugees are choosing not to register with the UN out of political fears (e.g. being seen as a traitor on their return to Syria and suffering repercussions). As a result of not registering, they do not benefit from the humanitarian assistance provided by the agency. A recent positive development was the Lebanese government’s announcement to waive visa renewal fees for Syrian refugees, but the government has also expressed its hope that the international community would help to cover the lost revenue associated with those fees. Many new arrivals report that they have lost contact with family members since arriving in Lebanon or that loved ones have died in the violence. Some said they fled their homes quickly to escape fighting. Families who have relatives or friends in Lebanon tend to stay with them, putting an increasing burden on the host families as time passes. Others who have borrowed money or have some savings rent small apartments, sometimes sharing the space with other families, and are depleting their productive assets as they pay rent. Still others are less fortunate and take shelter wherever they can find it, in tents, dilapidated sheds, and other makeshift dwellings that often have no running water or electricity and do not provide adequate protection against the coming winter conditions. With little or no income or external support, refugee families (particularly those who are not registered) face crises regarding medical issues, nutrition, shelter, children’s education, and more. Many wish to return to Syria but do not know when it will be safe to do so, or what conditions they will return to.
In Jordan Jordan sees several hundred refugees crossing its borders
every day. New arrivals mainly consist of families with several children, including toddlers. More than half of the refugees are under 18 years old. There are 137,998 refugees registered with UNHCR or awaiting registration as of November 29, 2012, plus others are unregistered.
Jordanian government and aid agencies. One refugee camp, Zaatari, has been established near the border with Syria, and limited resources have led to conditions so poor that numerous refugees have reportedly left it to find shelter elsewhere in Jordan. A second refugee camp is being prepared. The savings of Syrians renting apartments outside the camp are drying up. In a poll conducted by the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan in August, 2012, 65 percent of Jordanians opposed allowing any more Syrian refugees to enter the country. Most Syrian refugees currently live in the governorates of
Amman, Irbid and Mafraq. Arriving families recently reported that they have been internally displaced for the last six to 12 months and that they left Syria because they were no longer able to afford the cost of living where they were staying. Sixty three percent of Syrians registered expressed fear of return due to the general security situation, mainly fear of physical harm. Thirty four percent expressed fear of return due to their political opinion. At the outset of the LSESD response the focus was on food,
blankets and hygiene items. Developing relationships with the local churches and other partners led to an increased understanding of needs. As such, the project adapted the assistance given according to the various identified needs in several locations. In addition, new partnerships were developed, allowing the scope of the project to expand within Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
Distribution in JORDAN
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