Azraq refugee camp opens amidst growing humanitarian needs of Syrian crisis
A new refugee camp has opened in Jordan, designed to provide 100,000 people with long-term care and shelter. Over the last year World Vision has worked alongside the United Nations and other aid agencies to develop a purpose built camp that can offer immediate, but also lasting, refuge.
As the numbers of those fleeing war-torn Syria continues to increase, an acute need has grown for another major refugee camp in Jordan. Given the longevity of the Syrian conflict, Azraq has been built to provide lasting care to those most in need, with families living in semi-permanent shelters rather than tents.
But as noted by World Vision UK CEO, Justin Byworth, who recently visited Azraq , the need for yet further emergency shelter is yet another saddening milestone in this conflict.
“Crucially, Azraq will mean thousands of families have access to essential care and shelter. But it’s also a saddening thought that after three years of conflict there remains a need to build such new camps. With every passing day Syria is watching its children's futures cruelly slip away from them, as they're increasingly cut off from education, forced to work to survive and suffer unthinkable abuse. On a recent trip to Jordan I saw the great work being done to ensure those arriving at Azraq face the best conditions possible. But I also met those such as Saleh and his six children who spoke of the horrors they’d faced as the conflict unfolded- and the trauma that now haunts them having fled it. Whilst this war continues, so too will the flow of those who’ve been devastated by it. ”
World Vision manages facilities in the camp providing around 30,000 people with access to clean water and sanitation. Jordan’s climate, where temperatures can regularly pass 40 degrees Celsius, means a sufficient supply of water is vital to survival. With annual rainfall levels at just 220 milliliters, equivalent to half a coffee cup, this need is only accentuated.
Za’atari, Jordan’s main refugee camp, is already home to nearly 100,000 people but over 450,000 remain in communities around the country, many without access to basic necessities, in meager and make-shift camps.
World Vision continues to call upon all parties to the conflict in Syria to negotiate a peaceful solution. World Vision is appealing for the immediate protection of all children, including compliance with the UN Security Council resolution to allow families in Syria to access life saving aid.
To hear more on the opening of Azraq from Justin Byworth please watch this video: