Blog 6: More than 80,000 Syrian refugees fleeing to Jordan

The article, by the Associated Press's Dale Gavlak, details the huge migration of refugees from Syria into Jordan.  With the ongoing violence against civilian populations, this article is yet another testament to the human rights abuses going on inside Syria.  The government estimates that in the 11 months of fighting, some 73,000 Syrians have crossed the border legally.  Border patrol officers estimate that another 10,000 have arrived illegal since the unrest in Syria began.  The refugees are receiving help from the Jordanian government.  Most are provided shelter either from the government or Jordanian families.  Kitab and Sunna charity and the UAE Red Crescent have been offering aid where they can.  A spokesman from the Kitab and Sunna charity has estimated that some 20,000 Syrians have been provided shelter, food, and medical care from their organization.  A woman who recently left the city of Homs fled the constant bombardment of the city had the following to say to the Associated Press "We had to escape from the brutal government attack on our city," she said on Friday. "The Assad regime is despicable. There is no safety for us and our children."  I think her words speak to the ongoing atrocities inside Syria.

While I have covered the ongoing human tragedy in Syria, as the government's brutal crackdown on the country has caused the death toll of civilian populations to rise, I wanted to spend some time this week talking about the more positive side of human rights.  The Jordanian government is providing aid to these refugees that are lucky enough to make it out of the bloodshed.  Government and private forces are coming together to offer food, shelter, and medical care to people who are, essentially, not their problem.  It is heartwarming to see a country so readily take in these victims and aid them in their quest to evade the human rights abuses in Syria.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_JORDAN_SYRIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-02-26-09-26-04