WASHINGTON — As the humanitarian crisis facing over 40,000 Syrian refugees who are stranded at the Jordan-Syria border – known as “the berm” – continues to worsen, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called on the U.S. State Department to work with the Jordanian government to improve humanitarian agencies’ access to the berm, increase security, and expedite screening and admittance processes into Jordan for the most vulnerable refugees. In a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, the senators noted that while a lack of medical care and inconsistent supplies of food and water at the encampment persist, establishing a civilian police presence and allowing consistent access for international aid agencies to provide aid and perform screening and registration could help improve security and living conditions for the refugees. The senators also emphasized that the demographic breakdown of the refugee population suggests that there are hundreds of young children, elderly, disabled, or ill persons who would not pose security threats to Jordan, and that their admittance into the country is in the shared interests of the United States and Jordan. 

“Throughout the conflict in Syria, the Jordanian government and the people of Jordan have demonstrated immense generosity and compassion in caring for thousands of refugees who have sought shelter within their borders. We support Jordan’s efforts to protect its borders from terrorist threats, and believe this risk could be mitigated by deploying a police presence and allowing consistent access to international aid agencies to perform screening and registration of this population,” wrote the senators. “According to international aid agencies on the ground, over half of these refugees are children under 17, including over 500 infants.  There are also over 200 pregnant women and hundreds of persons who are either disabled or have serious medical requirements.  We urge you to request the Government of Jordan provide immediate protection to these most vulnerable persons who pose no arguable security risk. Urgently providing protection for these refugees is not only a humanitarian obligation, it is in the security interests of both the United States and Jordan.”

Murphy, who is Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism and a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, has continuously called on the U.S. and its allies around the world to increase humanitarian support to meet the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by the Syrian crisis. In September 2015, Murphy visited a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan where 80,000 men, women, and children have been forced to retreat from war.

The full text of the letter is available online and below:

Dear Secretary Kerry,

We would like to express our concern over the humanitarian emergency facing over 40,000 Syrian refugees amassing at an earthen berm inside Jordan’s borders. The stranded refugees are suffering from exposure, food insecurity, and risk of disease. We ask that you raise this situation with Jordan’s leadership to seek a workable solution that allows these refugees to be properly screened and admitted into available refugee facilities in Jordan.

Throughout the conflict in Syria, the Jordanian government and the people of Jordan have demonstrated immense generosity and compassion in caring for thousands of refugees who have sought shelter within their borders. We therefore respect Jordan’s concern that this specific refugee population, which has been fleeing the intensified violence in northern Syria, may pose an increased security risk. Specifically, they are concerned that admitting these persons further into Jordanian territory could allow ISIL elements potentially moving with the refugee flow to gain entry to Jordan. 

We support Jordan’s efforts to protect its borders from terrorist threats, and believe this risk could be mitigated by deploying a police presence and allowing consistent access to international aid agencies to perform screening and registration of this population. The demographic breakdown of this refugee population suggests that the majority would not in fact pose an increased threat. According to international aid agencies on the ground, over half of these refugees are children under 17, including over 500 infants. There are also over 200 pregnant women and hundreds of persons who are either disabled or have serious medical requirements. We urge you to request the Government of Jordan provide immediate protection to these most vulnerable persons who pose no arguable security risk.

Despite recent efforts to provide some infrastructure for these refugees living in makeshift encampments, conditions are deteriorating as the number of refugees increases. Inadequate sanitation, emergency shelter, and consistent supplies of food and water are of critical concern in this open desert environment, and there is essentially no medical care available. The lack of a security presence means that female refugees in particular are at risk of physical and sexual assault. We understand the Jordanian government believes sending military forces into this “no-man’s land” would violate an agreement with Syria, but providing a civilian police presence at the berm would improve security conditions without the introduction of military forces.

The United States must continue to lead the effort to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the region. We therefore ask that you work with our Jordanian partners to formalize humanitarian agencies’ access to the refugee population at the berm, improve the security environment by providing a civilian police presence, and accelerate the screening of urgent cases for admission to Jordan.

We know that displaced populations without international protection create instability and are prey for extremist groups looking to exploit vulnerable persons. Urgently providing protection for these refugees is not only a humanitarian obligation, it is in the security interests of both the United States and Jordan.

Sincerely,


Christopher S. Murphy
United States Senator

Jeanne Shaheen
United States Senator

Edward Markey
United States Senator