Guterres checks on conditions, needs of Syrian refugees at Zaatari camp

AMMAN — UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres visited the Zaatari camp on Thursday to check on the conditions and needs of Syrian refugees there. 

Guterres also met with two Syrian families living in a tent and a trailer and chatted with them. 

During one of the visits, he commended the Syrian family for hosting another family whose tent was destroyed by the recent snowstorm.

“Syrians have received for decades millions of refugees and they have been always very generous hosting those that tried to have protection inside their country,” the UN official told reporters outside the family’s trailer.

“Now you see the same generosity of a Syrian family that received another family whose tent was destroyed by the storm,” he said. 

Guterres repeated his calls for more international support for Syrian refugees. 

“The truth is that the international community needs at the present moment to mobilise massive support to the Syrian refugees and massive support to countries like Jordan that are receiving them in a very generous way and providing them with protection and assistance.”

He noted that only 54 per cent of the refugee regional response plan was funded in 2014. 

“But we have done our best with our partners to mobilise our resources as much as possible to prepare for the winter,” the UN official said, adding that 1.7 million blankets have been distributed so far; more than 100,000 families have received cash support; fuel was distributed; and shelters were improved. 

“An enormous effort has been done by the governments of all countries that host refugees such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, and... by the UNHCR and UN agencies and NGOs. Enormous efforts have been done to prepare for this winter.”

Guterres commended the efforts exerted by Jordanian officials and humanitarian workers to mitigate the effect of the recent polar front. 

“I want to pay tribute to the enormous courage and determination of the humanitarian workers and of Jordanian officials who have done everything possible to make sure that here in Zaatari... people do not suffer. There were no casualties in Zaatari,” he noted. 

Meanwhile, Syrian refugees interviewed by The Jordan Times spoke of their hardships during the polar front, which started affecting the Kingdom last week, bringing heavy snow and rain, and subsided earlier this week. 

Khaled Ammouri, a Syrian refugee who has been living in the camp for more than a year, said many tents were flooded. 

“Many tents were destroyed and others were flooded with water. The area that I live in at the camp is like a swamp,” he added.

Um Moataz called on camp officials to replace her family’s tent with a trailer so that she can cope with the severe weather winter.

“We are a family of seven members living in one tent and water seeped into it.”