THE hospitality of the Jordanian government reached its limits on June 21st, when a terrorist attack on the last entry point from Syria into Jordan killed seven Jordanian soldiers. The authorities slammed the border shut, and King Abdullah said that Jordan would respond “with an iron fist against anyone who tries to tamper with its security and borders”.
The closure has turned a desperate situation into a humanitarian black hole. According to the UN, more than 70,000 people are now stranded in a harsh no-man’s land-between Jordan and Syria, known as the berm (see map). No one knows the exact numbers in the settlements, nor indeed what life is like there, since the attack has stopped aid flowing in and information flowing out.
Before aid agencies were shut out reports and video footage suggested a hostile refuge. Mice and disease roam amid the sprawl of dusty tents. In May an NGO reported that women were using nappies to avoid defecating in the open, and that mothers were covering their newborn babies’ faces to protect them from rat bites.
In the blistering heat and without shade, water or greenery, the...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/2a31pmi
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