Every day, two to three thousand refugees are crossing from Syria into neighboring countries including Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.
"Many refugees are arriving with only the clothes on their backs," said Panos Moumtzis, UNHCR's regional coordinator for Syrian Refugees. "Some have been displaced many times before leaving Syria. They need humanitarian assistance from day one."
The continued violence in Syria has prompted humanitarian agencies to prepare for a further increase in the numbers of refugees, taking into account the impact on refugee-hosting countries and communities. Whereas the March appeal projected an estimated 100,000 Syrians becoming refugees by the end of this year (a number that was passed in July), the latest appeal estimates up to 700,000 Syrian refugees in neighboring countries by December 31.
There are 294,000 Syrian refugees registered or awaiting registration in neighboring countries, compared to 41,500 Syrians in March, when UNHCR and its partners issued a first appeal. This sevenfold increase in the number of refugees has brought about a surge in the humanitarian response and a vastly expanded plan of action to respond to the needs of Syrian refugees as well as future arrivals.
"Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey have set the example, keeping their borders open for Syrians fleeing violence. The neighboring countries cannot do this alone. The international community must continue to demonstrate solidarity," Moumtzis stressed.
Humanitarian agencies have scaled-up assistance in response to the increase in numbers and needs of refugees, with an increasing sense of urgency as winter approaches, with half the Syrian refugee population living in refugee camps, the majority in tents.
Za'atri camp in Jordan opened late July and today hosts some 32,000 Syrian refugees. Meanwhile in Iraq, Domiz camp in northern Iraq hosts more than 27,000 Syrian refugees. In Turkey, which assumes total responsibility for the refugee camps, the vast majority of refugees – close to 88,000 – are living in 13 camps.
In Lebanon, most refugees are living in rented apartments or with families. As refugees continue to arrive, there are increasing concerns over lack of available shelter. In Jordan, over half of the refugee population is living in rented apartments or with host families, but new arrivals are required to live in the camp.
Women and children make up 75% of the refugee population. Education and health care are both priorities in the plan.
UNHCR is at the forefront of the delivery of humanitarian assistance to refugees and host communities across the region, but will need far more support to deal with the number of refugees, which is growing daily.
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UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie met with Syrian refugees on Tuesday, September 11, during a visit to the Za'atri camp in Jordan. Guterres said the "camp needs massive international funding" and that "the conditions are still not acceptable."
As well as showing solidarity with the refugees, the visit recognizes the commitment of the Jordanian people and government to refugee protection.
The latest figures show that more than a quarter of a million Syrian refugeeshave now been registered in the surrounding region, or are awaiting registration.
The night before, Jolie visited the Jordanian border with Syria and met newly arriving families. Among them was an injured man.
Most of the refugees cross the border at night. Shelling could be heard from across the border and some 200 refugees made the dangerous crossing.
Since its opening in late July, Za'atri camp, which is located close to Mafraq near the Syria border, has received 28,000 refugees. These are among the 83,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan who have registered or are awaiting registration. Many more are believed to have crossed without seeking to register. Most of the refugees are living with host communities in urban areas.
"Refugees tell us that artillery and air attacks are continuing in villages and towns close to the Jordanian border. There are reports of thousands of displaced people in Syria's south, moving from village to village seeking safety before they can cross the border," a UNHCR spokesman said.
The number of refugees crossing the border tends to fluctuate daily according to the security situation inside Syria. Overall, the average remains around 2,000 new arrivals a day, but some days have seen less than 100 people crossing.
Refugees say a number of sites in Damascus where displaced people have been sheltering are now affected by violence, forcing them to move again. Some refugees report being displaced five or six times before finally leaving the country.
UNHCR, together with the Jordanian government, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization and UN and NGO partners, is working day and night to support Syrian refugees. Nevertheless, conditions at Za'atri – a windswept camp in the desert – are still harsh, and most refugees are living in tents.
With winter approaching, UNHCR hopes to be able to move people into prefabricated housing, giving priority to the most vulnerable families. Up to 30 pre-fab homes are each day; not nearly enough for the tens of thousands of refugees who are in need.
In the meantime, refugees are doing their best to establish their lives in the camp. Last weekend, the first wedding took place. There have also been several births in Za'atri since the camp opened.
During the trip to Jordan, Guterres and Jolie met with Jordan's King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein, Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh.
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UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres warned today that the situation for refugees fleeing Sudan's Blue Nile and South Kordofan states had become critical, with more than 200,000 people displaced into neighboring South Sudan and Ethiopia and humanitarian efforts in South Sudan close to breaking point.
"The combination of difficult and dangerous conditions in South Sudan and the huge numbers of refugees arriving there mean our operations are severely stretched," Guterres said. "And people are still arriving every day, many of them malnourished, and including unaccompanied children in groups."
UNHCR field offices in Ethiopia and South Sudan say 211,700 refugees have so far arrived from Sudan's Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. Some 36,700 of these are in the Assosa region of Ethiopia.
But the major pressure of this influx is on South Sudan, with 62,000 people in Unity state and 113,000 in Upper Nile state – most in remote areas lacking even basic infrastructure. Children and teenagers account for 52% of the refugees in Assosa, 44% in Upper Nile State and 65% in Unity State.
In South Sudan, water supply for this population has become acutely problematic, even with a new rainy season having recently begun. Much of the Jammam camp in Upper Nile, for example, is in ankle-deep water, yet the amount of water available for drinking and sanitation is still far below the levels needed. Boreholes have been dug there and in other camps, but many refugees still receive only a third or less of the minimum daily clean water supply. This heightens the health risks.
"The complexity of the Sudan crisis sets it apart," Guterres said. "We are contending with a situation in which many newly arriving refugees are already dangerously malnourished; the threat from water-born disease is high; large refugee populations are in locations that are unambiguously dangerous; and flooded roads block access and the possibility of relocating people elsewhere – even where better sites can be found. More help is urgently needed."
UNHCR has appealed to the public to help by donating additional funds for the Sudan refugee crisis.
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