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              What's Behind the Drop in Syrian Refugees to Jordan?

   by Elizabeth Arrott

   The constant flow of refugees from Syria into Jordan has slowed to a
   near halt in recent days, raising concerns of a yet another
   humanitarian crisis in the two-year conflict.
   The war in has turned a dusty, desolate patch of land just south of the
   border into what is now Jordan's fifth largest city. An average of
   2,500 Syrians fled here every day, in the last few months.
   ''But, since Sunday, according to those registering new refugees at the
   camp, not a single one has come. Humanitarian officials said only a
   handful of refugees has entered the country in the past few days.
   Refugee Osama was one of the last to check in here, arriving with his
   family Saturday. Osama said conditions in his village near the border
   had deteriorated rapidly as troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad
   went on the offensive against rebels in the area.
   He said government snipers shot at anyone trying to leave. Still, he
   and his relatives made the difficult journey unharmed.
   But the next day, some charged, it was not just the Syrian government
   trying to stop the exodus, but Jordanian border guards as well.
   Jordanian authorities reject the accusation, saying they are not
   stopping anyone from coming in. There are several official crossings
   along the border and dozens of unofficial ones.
   Retired General Fayez al-Dwairi of the King Abdullah Academy for
   Defense Studies said Jordan will keep the borders open, no matter what.
   He said the reasons are many, including historic ties between the
   people of the two countries and the religious and moral imperative of
   helping anyone fleeing violence and death.
   Jordan has been hospitable, taking in some half a million Syrians:
   130,000 in Zaatari and the rest mixing in with the general population
   and imposing a huge strain on the nation's limited resources.
   One security official suggested that burden may be behind the drop in
   numbers, which coincides with meetings on increasing aid to cope with
   the refugees. A few days into the crisis, the United Nations and the
   United States announced additional aid.
   The cut-off has also coincided with what rebels said is a dramatic
   decrease in the supply of weapons and other material support that had
   been flowing through Jordan from rebel allies in the Gulf, raising
   additional questions of behind-the-scenes deals.
   Although the reasons for the dramatic decrease in refugee numbers
   remain unclear, one thing is certain: thousands of refugees are trying
   to get to safety and cannot, adding another layer of misery onto an
   already miserable situation.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/whats-behind-the-drop-in-syrian-refug
   ees-to-jordan/1666819.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/whats-behind-the-drop-in-syrian-refugees-to-jordan/1666819.html