Tripoli, 15 May:
Libya has sent humanitarian aid to Jordan for distribution to the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees now sheltering . . .[restrict]in that country.
A convoy of 14 trucks arrived in Amman on Monday with food, clothes and other essentials. The aid is being distributed by the Al-Kitab and Sunna Society in Jordan to Syrians sheltering from the violence in their own country in the Jordanian capital Amman as well as Mafrag, Erbed and Zarqaa.
The society’s local chairman Zayed Hammad said that the convoy had been put together by a number of Libya civic groups. Hammad said however that in the last two months, the number of Syrians fleeing into Jordan had more than doubled. He warned that Jordan by itself would not be able to handle the influx of refugees if it continued at the present rate.
Jordan has waived import regulations to allow other Arab states to send assistance to Syrian refugees on its soil. One growing problem they face is a lack of housing. Rents for inadequate accommodation are high, having more than doubled within a year. The Jordanian government has so far avoided opening specific refugee camps for Syrian citizens, reportedly because it fear these might to turn into long-term settlements, as has happened with Palestinian refugees in the country.
By some estimates, there are now over 100,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan. [/restrict]
