Thousands stranded on Jordan border
REGIME ASSAULT ON DARA’A IN SOUTHWEST SYRIA HAS SPARKED A FRESH EXODUS
Regime’s offensive in southern city of Dara’a to regain control of rebel-held areas has sparked fresh exodus |
Thousands of families fleeing a Syrian government offensive in the southern city of Dara’a are currently stranded at the Jordanian border, unable to either return home or escape the violence because passageways to the neighbouring country had been sealed.
The situation was quickly deteriorating at several spots along the border with no shelter, running water or sanitary facilities, according to aid organisations and activists in the area. Humanitarian organisations have called on Jordan to open the border to Syrians fleeing violence.
The new offensive by Syrian government forces aims to regain control of one of the country’s last two rebel-held territories.
It has driven thousands from the city, which is just a few miles from a border crossing into Jordan.
But Jordan closed its border with Syria two years ago after a car bomb in June 2016 killed seven Jordanian border guards.
Jordan yesterday stepped in to try to avert further violence, mediating new talks between rebels and the government’s main ally Russia for a truce.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the kingdom was engaged in intensive diplomacy with all parties in the conflict to help broker a ceasefire that would ease plight of displaced civilians.
“We are moving in all directions and with all the parties to bring a ceasefire and protect civilians,” he said in a Tweet on Saturday.
Talks in the town of Bosra Al Sham on Saturday broke down as the army seized more ground in its offensive, with insurgent lines in some areas collapsing, and a string of towns and villages accepting the return of government rule after intense bombardment.
Jordan and Syria’s other neighbours, Lebanon and Turkey, have borne the brunt of the exodus of millions of refugees who have fled across the borders during the past seven years of war.
The conflict has displaced nearly 12 million people, more than half of Syria’s population.
The host countries have long struggled with the physical and economic strains of providing for the needy population.
Jordan now hosts more than 660,000 Syrians officially registered as refugees, according to the UN refugee agency.
The situation is really grim, and we know there are more people on the way. And we don’t know how close the fighting is going to get to them.”
Karl Schembri| Middle East spokesman for the Norwegian Refugee Council
True number
But Jordanian officials say the true number is much higher because there are hundreds of thousands more who are not registered.
The Jordanian prime minister’s office said on Saturday that the armed forces would be delivering humanitarian aid to the Syrian side of the border, but it gave no indication that the border would open.
“The situation is really grim, and we know there are more people on the way,” said Karl Schembri, the Middle East spokesman for the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Footage posted on social media by local activists in Dara’a purports to show crowds gathered at the border, chanting “Jordan, open the border,” as military vehicles patrolled in the background.
Local activists said at least five children died over the past week after being stung by scorpions and not having access to medical care.
The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations, a medical charity and advocacy group that operates in Dara’a, estimated on Saturday that 217,000 people have been displaced from Dara’a and as many as 75,000 had gathered at the border with Jordan.
The United Nations gave a lower estimate on Friday, saying that some 160,000 have been displaced by the fighting and those still in the area were becoming desperate.
“The humanitarian situation here is horrible,” said Baha Mahameed, a doctor with the medical care union. “The borders are still closed. This is madness.”
Late Friday, the UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, called for an end to the Syrian government offensive and said it was taking a devastating toll on civilians. Residents of Jordan have also begun pressuring their government to open the border with Syria. By Saturday, the Arabic phrase for “open the border” was trending on Twitter.
And Jordanian news outlets shared videos, reportedly taken in the border town of Ramtha, showing local residents gathering food and water for the Syrian refugees.
Meanwhile, Israel beefed up its tank and artillery deployment on the Occupied Golan Heights frontier with Syria yesterday, cautioning Damascus’ forces to keep a distance as they sweep rebel-held areas over the border.