Roundup: UN refugee agency voices grave concern about 12,000 Syrians stranded at Jordan border

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday it was gravely concerned about some 12,000 people trying to flee Syria and stranded in remote areas at the northeastern Jordanian border, urging Jordan to okay their entry.

"That group includes elderly people, others who are sick or wounded, children, women, and others who are vulnerable and need help," Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here.

"The number of people massing in the locations near the border has risen sharply since the start of November, from 4,000 to 12,000 following the recent intensification of conflict in Syria," he said.

Also Tuesday, the UNHCR released results of a preliminary questionnaire of over 1,200 Syrian refugees who arrived in Greece between April and September, Haq said. "The sample is the largest set of data collected to date and offers insights into who these families are and why they are coming to Europe."

The UNHCR reported 86 percent of the interviewed had a high level of education, at secondary or university level. Almost a quarter were still searching for a family member missing in Syria, and one in five had been separated from one or more family members in that country, he noted.

The majority -- 63 percent -- had fled Syria during 2015, and 85 percent had reached Greece on their first attempt, while more than 62 percent originated from Damascus and Aleppo, Syria's largest cities, he added.

The stranded population on the border includes about 11,000 people in Rukban, about 8 km to the west of the point at which Iraq, Syria, and Jordan borders meet, and 1,000 people in Hadalat, some 90 km further west, according to the UN.

The refugees were gathering near an earthen wall or "berm" on Jordanian territory in a rocky area devoid of shade, water or vegetation, Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the Office of the UNHCR, told a regular press briefing in Geneva.

She said that women have had to give birth at the berm, in unsanitary and unhygienic conditions. Moreover, common medical complaints were on the rise such as respiratory tract infections, gastroenteritis, and skin diseases.

Fleming underscored that the health situation was deteriorating, with increasing signs of diarrhoea, vomiting and acute malnutrition among children.

If refugees were not admitted to Jordan and substantial assistance not provided, the lives of refugees would be at risk in the coming winter months, she stressed.

"We appeal to the government of Jordan to allow refugees stranded at the border to enter the country, prioritizing entry for the most vulnerable adults and children," she said.

At the same time, she acknowledged the serious impact of the Syria conflict on Jordan's security and said that the UNHCR recognizes the tremendous contribution of Jordan in hosting over 630,000 refugees, which has put a heavy strain on its infrastructure and economy.

Additionally, Fleming said that the Azraq camp, located about 320 km from Rukban, has capacity to receive additional people.

The UNHCR has provided considerable support in recent months to improve the capacity of the Ruwaished transfer facility to allow the proper screening and processing of newly arrived refugees from the Berm, she added.

Fleming reiterated that UNHCR recognizes the legitimate security concerns of Jordan, which, she said, "can be managed through proper assessments of the circumstances of individuals."

The UNHCR stands ready to upgrade the security of the registration area at Azraq camp to allow for the comprehensive screening of the entire border population there, she added. Enditem