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Syrian refugees in Jordan riot over camp conditions

Arab World Materials 25 September 2012 00:11 (UTC +04:00)
Dozens of Syrians set fire to a refugee camp in northern Jordan late Monday in protest of what they described as "inhumane" conditions.
Syrian refugees in Jordan riot over camp conditions

Dozens of Syrians set fire to a refugee camp in northern Jordan late Monday in protest of what they described as "inhumane" conditions, DPA reported.

Around 100 residents of the so-called Zaatari camp near the Jordanian border city of Mafraq set fire to a supply warehouse in protest of regulations barring them from leaving the facility, sparking minor clashes with security personnel, witnesses said.

As they set fire to the facility, rioters chanted "the people want the downfall of Zaatari," and "the people demand the right to return," camp residents said.

Authorities were able to quickly contain the fire and disperse the rioters with no injuries reported, Jordanian security sources said.

Monday's incident marked the latest in a series of protests and riots at Zaatari - a collection of hundreds of tents in the eastern Jordanian desert that represents the country's sole Syrian refugee camp.

Last month Amman repatriated 200 camp residents for their involvement in widescale riots that led to the injury of 27 Jordanian security personnel.

Zaatari residents object to regulations barring them from leaving the 30,000-strong camp and say that UN-issued tents are unable to protect them from harsh desert weather conditions.

In a bid to improve living conditions, Amman and the UN are attempting to upgrade the tents into more permanent "residential trailers," as part of 200-million-dollar camp renovations.

Due to an ongoing funding shortfall, officials admit they will likely be unable to complete the upgrades.

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