The UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) is intensifying its field efforts to deliver emergency humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.

A high-level RCA team is in Jordan now to assess the actual conditions and requirements of Syrian refugees on the ground so as to launch relief operations.

The UAE aid workers have visited the areas of Mafraq and Ramtha refugee camps, at the Jordanian-Syrian borders and met with a group of Jordanian relief agencies to discuss ways of boosting efforts being arranged to provide relief and shelter to them.

Fahad Abdul Rahman bin Sultan, head of RCA delegation in Jordan, said events inside Syrian were forcing more influx of Syrians, mostly women, children and elderly, to pour into Jordan.

'Refugees need food and medicines but priority should be given to shelter needs at present due to the cold weather in these mountainous regions where temperature is below zero at night and 8 Celsius at day,' he added.

He unveiled that the Jordanian authorities were preparing to build a camp in Mafraq, nine kilometres away the Syrian borders, that can shelter up to 1200 refugees in the first phase.

He affirmed the RCA's readiness to support relief capacities of the camp.
The UAE major aid agency has boosted its partnerships with UN agencies including UNICEF and UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies to improve the living conditions in refugee camps.

The RCA yesterday launched a three-day media fund-raising campaign to help Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.

The humanitarian drive has been well-received from local, regional and international relief and aid organisations as well as philanthropists within the UAE.

WAM/AB