Water supplies to Rakban camp ‘will be increased’

AMMAN — Syrians stranded across Jordan’s border with Syria in the no-man’s-land called for increasing water supplies delivered to the camp that hosts thousands of refugees.

In a statement, a copy of which was sent to The Jordan Times, the Tribal Council of Palmyra and Badia that is in charge for regulating the camp’s affairs called for increasing the quantities of water delivered to the camp.

Currently, six to eight water tanks supply the camp dwellers with part of their needs.

“The water delivered is not enough even for drinking,” one of the camp’s residents told The Jordan Times.

The statement distributed on Sunday called for increasing daily supplies of water to 25 tanks.

An aid worker said water amounts will be increased, without giving any further details.

Meanwhile, refugees in the camp are still waiting to receive parcels of food assistance, while preparations by the council are under way to assist in the distribution process.

Last Tuesday, the council announced that food parcels that cover the needs of each family for a month would be handed to refugees across the borders, but a senior official said that the border would be opened “temporarily” as the area was still a closed military zone after a terrorist attack in late June.

Following a meeting with representatives of the UN agencies and refugees across the border, the Kingdom announced it would open borders for aid delivery “only for 10 days, until the UN finds an alternative way” to carry out the humanitarian mission.

According to the UN, more than 85,000 Syrian refugees are stranded at Rakban settlement in the no-man’s-land between Jordan and Syria.  Jordanian officials have put the number at more than 100,000, but there are reports of Syrians leaving the makeshift camp back to their homes.

Members of the tribal council in the camp told The Jordan Times that they have conducted a population count and the figures will be announced this week.