In the aftermath of the Tuesday bombing that took place in close proximity to an area where more than 60,000 Syrian asylum seekers are located, at the border between Syria and Jordan, Action Against Hunger is raising an alert about extremely difficult living conditions and the lack of protection these people have. We are one of the few international humanitarian organizations working in this area called the "Berm"; as such, we are a witness to the impact that fear and insecurity, reinforced by limited humanitarian assistance, have on these disenfranchised people.

Deteriorating security and military response in "no man's land"

The aerial attack brings to light the challenge of protecting people stuck in the desolate area of the Berm, outside any international governance. Tens of thousands of Syrian families have taken the risk to take refuge in this extremely inhospitable area, hoping to enter Jordan or simply find refuge from bombings. The incident plunged people here into a situation of insecurity difficult to survive in, while the increasing militarization of the area poses an additional risk to the lives of the tens of thousands of people physically stuck there without protection.

The deteriorating security situation also has severe humanitarian consequences: since an attack on June 21st against the nearby informal military base camp Rukban, the area was declared "[for] military and closed to all non-preauthorized travel." Humanitarian interventions were almost completely interrupted, except for the distribution of drinking water. After nearly a month without food distribution, the humanitarian community was in discussions with the Jordanian authorities to hold an emergency distribution.

"We hope that Tuesday's incident does not bring into question the resumption of food distributions when the population urgently needs to receive food. The security challenges facing the Jordanian authorities are greatly complex, but should not prevent the humanitarian response," says Lucile Grosjean, who is our Humanitarian Advocacy Manager.

A catastrophic humanitarian situation that requires help

The living conditions in the Berm are extremely difficult.

"It is very shocking to find here, at the Jordanian border, makeshift camps similar to those seen in Somalia or in Central African Republic, without sanitation or even enough water. Everyone cannot survive without water," says Julie Calafat, our Country Director in Jordan.  "Despite these extreme living conditions and the interruption of aid, the families have remained. The situation is really desperate, that they have no other choice but to stay in this place. The area is desert, and temperatures frequently exceed 100 degrees in the shade. The lack of water and access to aid are major problems. This is a great concern for Action Against Hunger--we fear for the lives of these families and can't imagine the Berm being a viable, long-term option for them."

Due to the extreme conditions faced by refugees, we call all stakeholders to recognize the importance of protecting these populations and providing them with urgently-needed assistance. Bombings must not happen in areas where civilians are assembled. Humanitarian aid must not be blocked indefinitely. The population's access to truly safe areas where there are basic services available is the priority.

The Berm: an untenable home for thousands

When the Jordanian authorities closed the main border posts in June 2013, many Syrians headed to Hadalat and Rukban--two border posts in the desert which are four and seven hours, respectively, from the capital of Amman. Rules were tightened about refugee access to Jordanian territory, necessitating the rise of these two informal gathering sites. Indeed, refugees are stranded there, with no lasting solution on the horizon and no well-organized help. Intensified fighting in Syria and the end of the de facto ceasefire have caused even more displacement. It is hard to get an accurate count because of people's movements and humanitarians' lack of access, but it is estimated that 60,000-100,000 are in Rukban and more than 8,000 in Hadalat. The majority are women and children.