An international aid official said 32 trucks left on Thursday for the Jordanian-Syria border to deliver water to tens of thousands of refugees stranded in al-Rukban camp, the Associated Press reported.
Refugee support projects worth more than 200 million euros ($226 million) in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon were revealed by the EU on Wednesday.
In an official statement, the European Commission said the EU Regional Trust Fund money would support up to 1 million Syrian refugees.
It includes 165 million euros ($187 million) to support education for Syrian children in Turkey, including school building and higher education, as well as extending water and waste facilities in southern Turkey.
In Jordan, 21 million euros ($24 million) will go towards financing water networks while in Lebanon and Jordan 15 million euros ($17 million) will allow the UN United Nations Relief and Works Agency to provide education and cash assistance to thousands of Palestinian refugees from Syria.
“We want to bring all refugee children across the region into schools by next year. We will also invest in livelihoods, urgent municipal services and social cohesion for refugees and host communities.”
The official, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, said this shipment is the first attempt to send water to the Syrian refugees since Jordan sealed the border area following a deadly attack on Tuesday that killed six Jordanian troops.
On Wednesday it was reported that people in the camps had begun drinking dirty water.
Refugees have been amassed at a no man’s land area on the border for months, awaiting entry to Jordan and receiving food and water from Jordan-based aid agencies.
Because territory to the north is controlled by Daesh or other militant groups, the refugees cannot return to their home-towns. Jordan has also cited Daesh presence as a reason for not letting more people in.
Government spokesman Mohammed Momani said that with the border closed, aid groups must find alternative ways to send supplies from Jordan.
The war in Syria has seen 4.5 million people flee to neighboring countries since it broke out in early 2011, including more than 2.7 million to Turkey.
