Jordan Times, 03 Apr 2012
AMMAN — The number of registered Syrian refugees in Jordan has topped 10,000 as UN officials prepare to step up their response to the growing number of vulnerable Syrians pouring into the Kingdom. According to Andrew Harper, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) representative in Jordan, the number of Syrians coming forward to register with the UN is “doubling” by the month, with 7,000 registrations and an additional 3,500 “in process” as of the end of March. “We have been seeing an upward trend in registrations, this month we might be seeing up to 4,000 registrations,” Harper told The Jordan Times in an interview on Monday. Ongoing security fears and the limited access to transportation to Amman has restricted the total number of registrations, which the UN agency admits is unrepresentative of the total number of Syrians in need in Jordan — which various humanitarian agencies place at 30,000. In order to confront the ongoing difficulty in accessing Syrians in need, the UN agency is stepping up its field visits and is studying the establishment of offices in the northern cities of Ramtha and Mafraq — now hubs for the Syrian diaspora community. With a recent $85 million appeal to the donor community for a regional response to the emerging refugee crisis — $40 million of which is to be reserved for Jordan — Harper said the UN will step up its programmes and services for Syrians to “alleviate” the growing burdens the displaced community of some 100,000 is placing on the Kingdom. “There is a cost with every Syrian who enters the country — and at a time when the government is struggling to meet the basic needs of its own citizens, we have to make sure the international community repays Jordan’s kindness and generosity in kind,” Harper said. As part of a regional response plan, the UN agency will utilise the funds to support the activities of dozens of local and international charitable societies and semi-governmental organisations in Jordan providing basic assistance, health and social services to vulnerable Syrians. The appeal will also allow the agency to implement a cash assistance programme, which according to the UNHCR will provide up to JD200 per family each month to help vulnerable Syrians meet rising rents and costs of living. Despite the recent influx of funds, Harper said the rise in Syrians fleeing to Jordan — which security and humanitarian sources place at some 500 per day — will likely force the UN agency to appeal for additional funding “within weeks”. “What we requested at the time was a snapshot of the situation, but the reality is that our needs are much greater now than they were a month ago.” Allowing Jordan to maintain its official policy of providing refuge to all Syrians entering the country — legally and illegally — is a “number one priority” for the international community. “Jordan’s keeping its borders open allows us to get access to Syrians in need, and this is of vital importance to the international community.” As diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continue to stall and violence spirals in Jordan’s neighbour to the north, the UN agency will likely expand its role as the Kingdom once again assumes the burden of another regional refugee crisis. “We all hope for Syrians to return to their home country as soon as possible, but we must make ensure Jordan is prepared if our aspirations aren’t met.”