AMMAN — Hostilities across southern Syria drove over 1,000 Syrians into the Kingdom over the weekend, as Jordanian officials called for urgent international support to face a deepening refugee crisis.
The Jordan Armed Forces said some 600 Syrians crossed into the country on Saturday and 500 on Friday, continuing an ongoing influx that has seen over 2,000 arrivals over the past 72 hours.
Syrian activists and border region residents claim that clashes between regime and rebel forces are threatening the lives of over 7,000 displaced civilians who have allegedly sought refuge in under-siege towns.
According to the Fee Syrian Army, 20 displaced people were among the casualties of regime-led air strikes over the weekend, raising to 210 the total number of refugees who have allegedly lost their lives in Damascus’ three-month aerial offensive across southern Syria.
Meanwhile, Jordanian officials called on the international community for emergency assistance in order to cope with a growingly “unpredictable” humanitarian crisis that continues to drive thousands of refugees into the country.
In an interview with the Al Arabiya news network on Friday, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh urged the international community to “shoulder its responsibility” and step up its support to the Kingdom as it struggles to cope with the burdens of hosting an estimated 1.2 million Syrians.
UN officials have renewed calls on the international community to increase its support to host countries such as Jordan, whose refugee community is expected to cost the government over $2 billion in 2014.
The UNHCR recently issued a ranking of the top 10 refugee hosting countries, on which Jordan came third, after Iran and Pakistan.
