Jordan denies it has closed border to Syria-bound aid
Jordan denies it has closed border to Syria-bound aid
The Jordanian border remains open to aid groups sending convoys to southern Syria via Jordan, according to unnamed official Jordanian sources.
2 min read
In April 2015, the Nasib border crossing between Jordan and Syria was closed [AFP]
The Jordanian government has not closed its border to aid convoys crossing into Syrian territory, a high-level Jordanian source said on Monday, denying earlier reports.
The official who asked not to be named told the Anadolu news agency that the Jordanian border is still open to aid crews, though he said that there are occasional restrictions depending on the security conditions, but always in consultation with the United Nations.
On Sunday, Syrian press reports, quoting unnamed Jordanian sources, claimed that the authorities in Amman told foreign aid organizations that the border with Syria would be closed to aid convoys bound for southern Syria.
The reports claimed that the move was a precaution following alleged threats by the Syrian regime to attack the convoys.
Jordan shares a 375-km porous border with Syria, interspersed with informal crossings used by Syrian refugees.
On Friday, the Petra news agency had said that the UN World Food Programme would cut by half the amount of food assistance it can give to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.
The WFP was forced to halt its regional food assistance programme briefly in December last year for 1.7 million Syrian refugees for the same reason but restarted it after receiving donations in a fundraising drive.
On Friday, the UN agency said it had received a new donation from the United States, which had prevented it from suspending the programme altogether.
But the WFP said it would still need to cut the amount it puts on vouchers that allow refugees to buy food in stores.
The official who asked not to be named told the Anadolu news agency that the Jordanian border is still open to aid crews, though he said that there are occasional restrictions depending on the security conditions, but always in consultation with the United Nations.
On Sunday, Syrian press reports, quoting unnamed Jordanian sources, claimed that the authorities in Amman told foreign aid organizations that the border with Syria would be closed to aid convoys bound for southern Syria.
The reports claimed that the move was a precaution following alleged threats by the Syrian regime to attack the convoys.
Jordan shares a 375-km porous border with Syria, interspersed with informal crossings used by Syrian refugees.
On Friday, the Petra news agency had said that the UN World Food Programme would cut by half the amount of food assistance it can give to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.
The WFP was forced to halt its regional food assistance programme briefly in December last year for 1.7 million Syrian refugees for the same reason but restarted it after receiving donations in a fundraising drive.
On Friday, the UN agency said it had received a new donation from the United States, which had prevented it from suspending the programme altogether.
But the WFP said it would still need to cut the amount it puts on vouchers that allow refugees to buy food in stores.
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