Refugees are stranded as Syrian offensive rages

Closed border causing misery

Thousands of families fleeing a Syrian government offensive in the southern city of Daraa were stranded at the Jordanian border Saturday, unable to either return home or escape the violence because passageways to the neighboring 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 organizations and activists in the area. Humanitarian organizations have called on Jordan to open the border to Syrians fleeing violence.

The new offensive 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 and Syria’s other neighbors, 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 U.N. 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 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.

Without having access to the families at the border, determining the extent of the need is impossible, said Karl Schembri, Middle East spokesman for the Norwegian Refugee Council.

“The situation is really grim, and we know there are more people on the way,” said Schembri, who is based in Amman, Jordan. “And we don’t know how close the fighting is going to get to them.”

Footage posted on social media by local activists in Daraa 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 lacking medical care.

Mohammad Abazeed / Getty Images Syrians flee rebel-held areas of the city of Daraa during airstrikes by Syrian regime forces.