AMMAN: Jordan on Sunday said it had agreed to a UN request to deliver humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of Syrians stranded near a border crossing between the two countries.
The kingdom sealed its border with Syria in 2016, after Daesh extremists killed seven Jordanian border guards. The closure ended regular UN aid shipments from Jordan to displaced Syrians struggling for survival in a remote stretch of desert.
Foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed Al-Kayed said, however, it will be a “one-off” operation to send “humanitarian aid across the Rukban border crossing” toward a desert area where the Syrians are struck. Jordan alleges that the Rukban border camp has been infiltrated by IS and that cross-border traffic endangers the kingdom
He said it was in response to a request by the United Nations and that the aid would be lifted across the border using special equipment.
Kayed did not elaborate on the kind of humanitarian aid that would be sent to the Syrians or when they were expected to receive it, nor did he say how many Syrians are stranded in the desert.
According to UN estimates based on satellite images, between 45,000 and 50,000 Syrians have been stuck for months on the Syrian side of the frontier near the Rukban border crossing.
Conditions are worsening for them as winter grips the region — which Jordan declared a “closed military zone” after a 2016 suicide attack claimed by the Daesh group killed seven Jordanian soldiers.
In October, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi had insisted that aid to those stranded near Rukban should come from Syria itself after the UN said deliveries were difficult to make because of the war.
The UN refugee agency says it has registered more than 650,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan since the conflict in Syria began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.
However, Amman says it is hosting 1.3 million Syrian refugees, and has repeatedly called for more assistance to do so.
Jordan agrees to UN request to send aid to stranded Syrians
Jordan agrees to UN request to send aid to stranded Syrians
GCC states ‘face reliance on Saudi Arabia for food imports’
- With 70 percent of food coming through Strait of Hormuz, analysts warn of inevitable shortages
DUBAI: Some Gulf states may have to rely on overland food deliveries from Saudi Arabia if the US-Israel-Iran war continues to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and restrict regional airspace, analysts warned on Thursday.
The region is up to 90 percent dependent on food imports, and price surges and scarcity of some goods are expected.
“With over 70 percent of GCC foodstuffs being imported through the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf states face shortages if the war persists,” said Neil Quilliam of the Chatham House think tank.
“While GCC countries have taken steps to diversify suppliers and ensure sufficient stores to withstand disruption, this can only last several months. At this point, price increases and longer lead times will start to hit the markets.”
Commodities analyst Ishan Bhanu said: “The biggest immediate effect will be due to the blockade of Jebel Ali in Dubai, serving about 50 million people. Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq effectively become landlocked and will depend on overland routes through Saudi Arabia.”
Bottlenecks are yet to show and the UAE has said its strategic reserves of vital goods cover four to six months of needs. It urged residents to report unjustified price increases through a dedicated hotline.
Supermarket staff throughout the Gulf said shelves remain largely stocked, though suppliers are taking longer to replenish certain products. Iran’s strikes on the Gulf since Saturday prompted panic buying in supermarkets, a dry run for what could come.
“Perception of risk matters, and even if stocks are sufficient now, public runs on supermarkets can spook the public,” Quilliam said.
