Zaatari camp dwellers say flash floods no longer a concern

ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP — Refugees at the Zaatari camp, over 80km northeast of Amman, are no longer worried about rainwater flooding their living quarters now that sufficient measures are taken to deal with the impact of severe weather, according to residents and UNHCR officials. 

Syrian refugees interviewed by The Jordan Times commended the level of preparations and services provided to counter harsh weather conditions at the camp, where 79,597 people currently live.

The shift from tents to trailers, and the installation of sewage networks and other kinds of services, have contributed to alleviating winter conditions at the camp.

Abu Mohammad, one of many heater fixers at the camp, said several are now available to boost quality of life at the camp during wintertime.

“There are many heaters being used by refugees, and this has created a new business at the camp which is heater maintenance,” he told The Jordan Times, noting the ease of movement at the camp now that the streets have been paved.

Although there are some refugees still battling the mud in some areas in the camp, most streets have been paved to ease mobility.

Abu Waseem, a Syrian who moved from the Eastern Ghouta to Zaatari camp three years ago, said the situation in the camp in the past was “unbearable”, but now it is getting “much better”. 

“When we first entered the camp, there were tents and mud, but now, with the introduction of trailers, the situation is much better,” he said.

Balqees Bsharat, an officer at the UNHCR’s foreign affairs department, said the UN agency holds a meeting with the organisations operating at the camp to draw up a plan to organise the support offered during winter.

The trailers have been linked to the sewage network, she explained, adding that measures have been taken in the areas surrounding refugee residences to prevent flooding in times of heavy rainfall.

The feedback received from the refugees has been positive, Bsharat added.