From the field - Talking to Syrian refugees in Jordan

The Syrian conflict has impacted Jordan economically and politically.

Last week, an average of 1,500 Syrian refugees crossed into Jordan every day. There are now over 150,000 Syrian refugees in the country.

With the support of the international community - the UNHCR [2] in particular - Jordan has recently stepped up its response and opened a refugee camp [3] near the Syrian border. 

Beyond its traditional action in places of detention, the ICRC in Jordan [4] functions as a support to our Syria [5] operation.

Amman-based delegates regularly conduct private interviews with Syrian refugees to better understand how hostilities are waged in the country. In doing so, they help their Damascus counterparts to document the humanitarian consequences of the conflict and refine their reading of the situation prevailing in areas that may be difficult to access.

This action started in early 2012, when the ICRC in Damascus started to engage substantively with Syrian authorities on protection [6] issues.

Catherine Gendre, ICRC head of delegation in Amman, explains how Jordan responds to the influx of Syrian refugees onto its territory and how her team contributes to what is now a regional ICRC response to the Syrian conflict.