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UN Emergency Fund releases $9.8 million in aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan

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(Amman, 22 May 2013): The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has released US$9.8 million to support the establishment of a new camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan. There are more than 500,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan since March 2011, according to the Government.

The Jordanian Government has requested support from the UN to establish and service a new camp in Azraq town to take pressure off the Za'atari camp which has reached full capacity with over 100,000 people. The new camp is expected to accommodate up to 110,000 refugees by the end of the year. This CERF allocation will support the first phases of its establishment.

"With this CERF funding, UN agencies will be able to better meet the needs of the influx of people fleeing the increasingly desperate situation in Syria," said the Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. in Jordan, Andrew Harper.

The funds will be channeled through the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN Children`s Fund (UNICEF) to assist the first 50,000 vulnerable refugees in need of lifesaving shelter and non-food items as well as water, sanitation and hygiene services in the new camp.

“With the hard climate expected during the approaching summer, the most urgent and basic need is to provide clean water and shelter,” said Andrew Harper.

This is the second CERF allocation to help fund the humanitarian response to Syrian refugees in Jordan authorized by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos. Last year, CERF provided $4 million to five UN agencies and the International Organization for Migration working in Jordan to boost the response.

Since May 2011, CERF has provided a total more than $84 million to support lifesaving operations in Syria and its neighbouring countries.

The crisis in Syria has created more than 1.5 million refugees who are hosted mainly in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and North Africa. The Syria Regional Refugee Response Plan, aimed at responding to the needs of all Syrian refugees, has requested $1 billion for the period 1 January to 30 June 2013. It is currently 73 percent funded.

CERF was established by the UN General Assembly in 2006 to make funding for humanitarian emergencies faster and more equitable. Since then, more than 120 Member States and dozens of private sector donors have pledged more than $3.2 billion to the Fund. Since its inception, CERF has allocated nearly $3 billion for humanitarian agencies operating in some 87 countries and territories.

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