Shortages in Syrian refugee camps

Shortages in Syrian refugee camps Amanda Fisher / 15 July 2013 Chronic shortages of resources are causing tensions to flare in Syrian refugee camps, says the managing partner of a Dubai-based company that has built accommodation for 6,000 more people fleeing the ongoing conflict. UAE-based company Modular & Mobile Solutions UAE managed the camp, which was knocked up along the Syria-Turkey border in three short months. Kilis Camp, which houses four schools, two mosques, a hospital, clinic, rehabilitation clinic, kitchen and 1,000 “modular homes” that can each accommodate a family of six, was opened two weeks ago and was at half capacity already. The homes, made up of pre-fabricated modules, measure 21 square metres and have running water and electricity, but company managing partner Ben Long said the new camp was no solution to alleviating the pressures facing the ever-growing number of refugees. “Absolutely not, there’s lots more needed. If you look at the project, it’s a big project, there’s 6,000 refugees but there’s 1.6 million registered refugees, and at least that number unregistered.” Tensions were rising inside camps, as people who had had to leave behind their livelihoods battled to get a share of limited resources. “Things are happening at the camps, incidents unfortunately, because there isn’t enough resources, there isn’t enough food or enough water.” Long’s company jointly managed the $6 million project, funded primarily by Kuwaiti charity Islamic Charitable Organisation, alongside Turkish company IHH which works closely with the United Nations — while the Turkish government was providing food. The British expatriate said there were measures in place in order to keep the number of people living at the camp capped with fences around the perimeter and security manning the entrances.
“Security is one of the key issues and it is a secure camp, they’ve made sure people can’t just come in…there is an issue with there not being enough housing, but that’s why we need to act together to make more of these communities. We can do it quickly, that the whole thing has been done in three months and we can do it even faster if we get more people working together.” The rehabilitation centre that was operating at the camp was run by doctors and psychologists in order to help people through the emotional turmoil they had experienced. “We have people who can come in and talk about their issues…there’s all kinds of things happening that we can’t even begin to imagine so the rehabilitation team have gone in there with specialists to deal with it,” he said. The community also had provision to help people start working, including a workshop for sewing, while it was hoped a market would eventually start running to “get some trade going”. “Everything’s sort of there in place for people to start moving forward. You’ve got some families who might have a little bit but you’ve got other families with nothing.” amanda@khaleejtimes.com Taylor Scott International