JORDAN: As conditions continue to worsen inside Syria, hundreds of refugees cross over into Jordan seeking safety and refuge

Record ID: 274462

  • Title: JORDAN: As conditions continue to worsen inside Syria, hundreds of refugees cross over into Jordan seeking safety and refuge
  • Date: 5th December 2013
  • Summary: RUWAISHED, JORDAN (THURSDAY DECEMBER 5, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SYRIAN REFUGEES CROSSING INTO JORDAN SYRIAN FAMILY CARRYING THEIR BELONGINGS INTO JORDAN SYRIAN REFUGEE, ABU ALI , FROM THE EASTERN GHOUTA, WITH HIS FAMILY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN REFUGEE FROM THE EASTERN GHOUTA, ABU ALI, SAYING: "We fled because of the constant shelling, we left because of Bashar A
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Jordan
  • Country: Jordan
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,People
  • Reuters ID: LVAA1KG3UMHCWFEU6PES7J0DAIYO
  • Story Text: Almost 1,000 Syrian refugees crossed into Jordan on Thursday (December 5) as conditions in Syria continue to deteriorate.
    At least 2 million Syrians are now registered as refugees with the UN, after fleeing their conflict ridden country, and this number is growing by hundreds daily.
    Jordan currently hosts over 600,000 Syrians, causing a huge strain on the small Kingdom's resources.
    Syrians who crossed over through a north eastern crossing point on Thursday, say they left behind a life full of death and destruction.

    "We fled because of the constant shelling, we left because of Bashar Al Assad, the tyrant, the oppressor." Said Abu Ali, who had a long journey from the Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.
    The refugees were greeted by Jordanian border patrol units at the north eastern border point with Iraq and Syria, an area near the city of Ruwaished, which lies 240 km east of Amman.
    UNHCR representative to Jordan, Andrew Harper, said most refugees have had long journeys under very tough circumstances,
    "We can see what the conditions are like, it's either dusty or muddy, we've had just over a thousand people cross today, there's word that more people could be coming on their way, the conditions are certainly not improving in Syria, I think this is one of the reasons why it's important for the border guards to bring others to see what they're doing here and see how extreme the conditions are here," he said.
    The refugees will be transported to the Zaatari refugee camp, which now houses over 120,000 refugees. This process will add another 3-4 days to their journey, says Harper, as a result of the difficulties involved with transporting the large number of refugees.
    Abu Salim, who fled the country with his wife and 11 children in tow, says he is glad to finally find some safety and security,
    "The situation in Syria is deteriorating rapidly, bombing, shelling, destruction of homes, people are dying. Tanks, planes, heavy and light artillery are everywhere, it's a massacre," he said.

    "It took us six or seven days to get here from Idlib. We faced many challenges, trying to evade missiles and moving among all the death and destruction, all so we can get to here in these conditions, with my children. Life there is very tragic, there is no bread or fuel or anything," he added.
    The border, which is 378 km long, has at least a dozen unofficial crossing points that are manned by Jordanian patrol officers.
    Most Syrians cross over during the night, hoping this can act as a cover from any attack.
    Chief of the Jordanian Border Patrol Unit, General Hussein Zyood, says the numbers of refugees entering Jordan is at an average of 500-600 a day,
    "Their [refugees] conditions, as you can see, are very difficult. they arrive exhausted and tired, especially in this terribly cold weather, very tough conditions on women, children and the elderly. We are here to receive them day and night. So yes, they arrive in difficult circumstances, they have suffered emotional turmoil, and are just exhausted," said Zyood.
    Zyood said that the patrol units are working hard to ensure the integrity of the borders, and have over the past year stopped 900 pieces of weaponry from being smuggled from and out of the country.
    Syria's uprising against four decades of rule by the family of President Bashar al-Assad has turned into an increasingly sectarian civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people.
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