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| [PHOTO: UNifeed] |
Zarqa, Jordan: As the situation worsens in Syria, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) is bracing itself for what may lie ahead.
Relief efforts are underway, as the UNHCR warehouse in the Jordanian city of Zarqa is filling up with essential goods. Five trucks from UNHCR global stockpile in Dubai have already entered Jordan, carrying these goods with another 20 to arrive in the coming days.
This is another safety net established by UNHCR's situational response to the crisis in Syria.
Andrew Harper, UNHCR's representative in Jordan said, "No one will excuse us if we are not ready, so our premise has to be to expect the worst and get ready for the worst, but obviously hope for the best."
UNHCR is working with its partners in Jordan to meet the needs of more than 140 thousand refugees that have entered the kingdom since the beginning of the Syrian crisis. Tents, jerry cans, blankets, and plastic sheets are among some relief items already in the warehouses. These items will be used in Za'atari camp which opened recently and is expected to accommodate the needs of refugees.
Harper further said, "We are seeing a significant increase in numbers of Syrians coming across, but fortunately we are ahead of the curve through planning, through foresight through working with our partners you can see the stocks behind us we are ready to respond."
These relief items can also swiftly be moved to neighbouring countries in case the need arises. -UNifeed