For updates and e-mail alerts, visit UN NEWS CENTRE at www.un.org/news UN Daily News Issue DH/6607 Tuesday, In the headlines: Amid escalating violence, UN officials urge immediate halt to attacks in Darfur Somalia s efforts to build cohesive State require international support, Security Council told UN agency urges international action after latest migrant tragedy in Gulf of Aden Pacific island countries urged to produce more healthy, competitive local foods - UN INTERVIEW: UN relief official recalls a day from hell amid ongoing strife in Syria South Sudan: UN working to mitigate risks of rainy season for displaced civilians UN envoy urges restraint after Palestinians killed in security incidents in West Bank DR Congo: UN envoy urges rebels to break away from armed groups More people fleeing as deadly attacks reported in Nigeria s Lake Chad region In Ukraine, UN official discusses human rights measures to de-escalate current crisis UN supports opening of third Syrian refugee camp in Jordan at end of April Amid escalating violence, UN officials urge immediate halt to attacks in Darfur 11 March - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay have voiced deep concern about the escalation of violence and its impact on civilians in Sudan s Darfur region, and urged an immediate halt to hostilities. Since late February, fighting between rebel groups and local militia in South Darfur has left thousands of people homeless, with reports of looting and villages burnt. In North Darfur, over the past few days, thousands of people have fled inter-communal fighting and sought protection at the African Union-UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) camp in Saraf Umra. The Secretary-General urges all parties to immediately cease hostilities and negotiate a peaceful settlement to these conflicts, Mr. Ban s spokesperson said in a statement issued last night. Fatima Abdala, from Barakutili, South Darfur, rests in her small shelter in the Kalma IDP camp near Nyala, South Darfur. Photo: UN/Albert González Farran He calls on the Government of Sudan and warring parties to cooperate with UNAMID and humanitarian partners in providing access to conflict areas and ensure the protection of civilians, as well as the provision of assistance to those in need. Ms. Pillay, in a news release issued today, said there has been a disproportionate use of force by armed groups in areas in South Darfur that are not military targets. There must be an immediate halt to attacks on unarmed civilians, she stated. The High Commissioner s Office (OHCHR) said that, according to witnesses, these groups have attacked some 45 villages in the Um Gunya area, approximately 50 kilometres south of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, since the end of For information media - not an official record
UN Daily News - 2 - February. While it is difficult to ascertain the number of people killed, an estimated 50,000 civilians have been displaced amid looting and arson. I urge the authorities to protect civilians and hold to account those who have committed grave breaches of human rights and humanitarian laws, said Ms. Pillay, who also stressed that the Sudanese Government must allow UNAMID to fulfil its mandate to protect civilians, and grant access to populations in need. She also noted that the attacks were adding to the number of internally displaced people (IDPs), with many of those fleeing ending up in camps in South Darfur such as Kalma and Al Salam, near Nyala, where the number of IDPs was close to 200,000 before the recent attacks. Their arrival is having an overwhelming impact on the already limited water, food and health care available in the camps. The increase in displacement is a worrying trend at a time when civilians were being encouraged to return to their villages of origin, she stated. Somalia s efforts to build cohesive State require international support, Security Council told 11 March - The best hope for peace and stability in Somalia, the Horn of Africa and beyond remains a united, secure and federal Somalia, the top United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today, warning that after a series of attacks against highprofile targets in Mogadishu, insecurity in the capital city poses challenges for Somalis and their international partners. 2014 is a crucial year marked by security and political challenges, which will be overcome if the Federal Government of Somalia and international partners remain united and if both accelerate delivery of their mutual commitments, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Nicholas Kay, told the 15-member Council via video conference from Mogadishu, urging continued support from donors and other stockholders. Food, water and other non combat supplies being offloaded for troops of the Somali National Army battling insurgents alongside the African Union Mission in Somalia. Source: UNIFEED Progress in Somalia has been mixed so far, but it is progress, he added. National reconciliation, federalism, the conclusion of the constitutional process and the rebuilding of security institutions are critical. Security remains a vital concern, particularly in Mogadishu where the situation has deteriorated as insurgents carried out often complex suicide attacks against several targets, including a UN convoy, the Presidential compound and the National Intelligence headquarters, all in the month of February. The risk of further attacks against Somali Government and international targets remains high, warned Mr. Kay, who is also the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). He added that the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Somali National Army (SNA) are pursuing a renewed offensive against Al Shabaab insurgents, who in 2011 were forced to retreat from the capital. This new offensive will be the most significant and geographically extensive military advance since AMISOM was created in 2007, Mr. Kay said, highlighting the UN s role through its support office for AMISOM (UNSOA) in stockpiling food, fuel and water ahead of the operations. UNSOA, along with UNSOM, has also supported training the army in human rights, international humanitarian and refugee law, in accordance with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon s Human Rights Due Diligence Policy. Despite the obvious importance of greater security, the political dimension of state-building and peace-building is equally vital this year, the Special Representative underscored.
UN Daily News - 3 - After decades of factional fighting, new Somali Government institutions emerged last year, as the country ended a transitional phase toward setting up a permanent, democratically-elected Government under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. As we meet, the Federal Government is finalizing a detailed plan and timetable for a process leading to the formation of Federal States, a final Constitution and democratisation by 2016, Mr. Kay told the Council. This formation of Federal States needs to be accelerated, he said, noting the positive steps towards political cooperation in Jubaland and in Puntland. Among other issues raised in his briefing, Mr. Kay noted that a change in immigration policy in Saudi Arabia forced back more than 22,000 Somalis with an additional 33,000 people expected to return in the next three months. The influx into Mogadishu could exacerbate the plight of the internally displaced in the country, which, at 1 million people, are part of the largest and most complex humanitarian crisis in the world. UN agency urges international action after latest migrant tragedy in Gulf of Aden 11 March - With 44 people missing and feared drowned after a smugglers' boat capsized off the coast of southern Yemen, the UN refugee agency today urged the donor community and civil society to develop comprehensive responses to reduce and ultimately prevent these hazardous journeys. People waiting to board a boat to take them across the Gulf of Aden. Photo: UNHCR/Alixandra Fazzina Spokesman Adrian Edwards said the Office for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is deeply saddened by the boat accident in the Gulf of Aden over the weekend involving refugees and migrants. The boat was reportedly carrying 77 men, women and children from Somalia (31) and Ethiopia (46). Thirty-three people were rescued, but the remaining 44 are still missing and feared drowned," Mr. Edwards told reporters in Geneva, describing this as the worst such incident this year. According to UNHCR, the boat had departed from Bossasso in the north coast of Somalia on Friday 7 March. It ran into strong winds and high waves off the coast of the southern Yemeni governorate of Shabwa, said Mr. Edwards, adding that according to one of the survivors, the boat quickly filled with water and capsized. On Sunday morning, a marine patrol by UNHCR partner organization Society for Humanitarian Solidarity (SHS) found 33 survivors. With one exception, all the survivors were male. They were brought ashore at Majdaha by SHS staff and given first aid, food, water and clothing before being taken to a transit centre. One 45-year old man from Southern Somalia said he had lost his two children in the tragedy, unable to reach them in the dark, said Mr. Edwards. The sole surviving woman lost her teenage daughter. She said the smugglers had refused to stop the boat when it began taking on water, he added. The tragedy is the most significant involving refugees and migrants crossing the sea to Yemen in the past year. Though the number of people making the perilous journey has been declining from 107,532 arrivals in 2012 to 65,319 in 2013 the crossings continue, resulting in hundreds of undocumented casualties in recent years. Nonetheless, the crossings continue and lives are being lost. And this calls for all stakeholders governments, international and regional organizations, the donor community and civil society to develop comprehensive responses to reduce and ultimately prevent these hazardous journeys, Mr. Edwards stressed. Over the past five years, more than half-a-million people mainly Somalis, Ethiopians and Eritreans have crossed the waters of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea to reach Yemen in overcrowded boats. In addition to countless reports of mistreatment, abuse, rape and torture by unscrupulous trafficking rings, smugglers are also often reported to throw
UN Daily News - 4 - passengers overboard in order to prevent capsizing or avoid detection. UNHCR has worked to enhance services offered to new arrivals in collaboration with the Mixed Migration Task Force and other partners, including the Government of Yemen, international and national non-governmental organizations and host communities. Pacific island countries urged to produce more healthy, competitive local foods - UN 11 March - As more and more markets in Pacific Island countries fill their shelves with imported processed foods, healthier locally produced items are being priced out of the market, warned the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today, encouraging local governments to adopt measures and regulations to help reverse that trend. Processed foods are increasingly pricing locally produced, healthier foods out of the market. Source: FAO Calling for a concerted effort, FAO emphasized that this shift is beginning to negatively affect the health of Pacific islanders, in a discussion paper presented at its 32nd Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific. It says that in to restore a viable market for local food producers and reduce demand on imported products, a policy-driven, multi-sector approach is required. The paper stresses that this effort carries significant growth potential for increased consumption of domestic agricultural products in Pacific island countries, and adds that curbing consumption of processed foods would also help tackle rising mortality rates and serious illness caused by obesity, like diabetes. Currently all Pacific island countries have either negative or highly negative food trade balances, FAO reports. FAO s paper notes that greater availability and consumption of local island foods will require action by both public and private sectors, and support from other concerned groups outside the agriculture sector. Traditionally, food security in the Pacific islands was largely guaranteed by food locally grown, gathered and fished, and was supplemented by income from export products such as copra, cocoa, coffee, sugar and bananas. While these same foods and incomes remain a pillar of food security today, farmers and fishers from the Pacific islands are having difficulty remaining competitive, both in export and domestic markets. This is largely due to semi-subsistence producers being too poor to buy the modern farm inputs they need to transition into commercial production and distribution. Pacific island countries also generally lack the capacity to process local foods into the convenience packaged products that are increasingly popular in urban markets. FAO explains that the inability to compete is encouraging the next generation of farmers and fishers to leave rural communities in search of new opportunities in urban centres, which implies dramatic diet shifts, from one rich in homegrown carbohydrates, greens and protein to one of imported foods with a high sugar, salt and saturated fat content, it has also resulted in the Pacific islands becoming seriously food-import dependent. The paper goes on to suggest several policy changes to help local producers: introduction of macro-economic policies to attract investment and reduce the competitiveness of imported foods, soft loans to allow producers to acquire productivity enhancing technologies, tax breaks for the agriculture sector, reduction of tariffs on imported farm machinery, seeds and feed... The revenue generated from additional tariffs and taxes on unhealthy imported food products could be invested in greater nutrition awareness campaigns and to improve the relative competiveness of nutritious local foods, FAO insists.
UN Daily News - 5 - INTERVIEW: UN relief official recalls a day from hell amid ongoing strife in Syria 11 March - Where have you been? What took you so long? Why is it only after a year that the UN would try to reach us knowing that we have been here for that long? These are the questions that greeted Yacoub El Hillo, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria and his team early last month when they were finally able to reach the Old City of Homs, which had been under siege and cut off from aid for nearly two years. UN vehicles lead the evacuation from the Old City of Homs, Syria, during a threeday "humanitarian pause" in early February 2014. Photo: Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC)/B. AlHafez It was shocking, it was overwhelming, it was painful, Mr. El Hillo said as he recalled what he witnessed that day upon entering the city from the human misery of malnourished and traumatized men, women and children to the destruction wrought on one of the world s most ancient cities. When we came out I described the experience as: it was a day from hell. And we were there only for one day. Yet the people living inside the Old City of Homs go through this every day. Mr. El Hillo, a Sudanese national who has been in his post for seven months, spoke to the UN News Centre while in New York, as the conflict in Syria this week marks the grim anniversary of entering its fourth year. Civilians have borne the brunt of the conflict, which has so far claimed well over 100,000 lives, and left more than 9.3 million people in need of assistance inside Syria, including at least 6.5 million who are internally displaced. The conflict has also spawned a refugee crisis in which nearly 2.5 million people have are being sheltered in neighbouring countries. In early February, a three-day ceasefire enabled the delivery of aid into the Old City of Homs, where some 2,500 Syrians were trapped without assistance for nearly two years in what had become an iconic symbol of the suffering endured by civilians in the three-year war s relentless bombardments and sieges. The humanitarian operation also enabled the evacuation of close to 1,400 civilians from the city. They would show us pictures of how they looked before and how they look now, said Mr. El Hillo. It is true that people there did not have systematic or regular supply of food and other essential items. It is true that people there lived under the ground. It is true that between all these ancient buildings that made the Old City of Homs, they dug passages so that they could walk through the buildings and not on the streets to avoid sniper fire. It is an appalling situation. He said that the people that were lucky enough to leave looked like they were coming out of caves. The men for example, they wanted a barber to cut their hair because they were looking bushy after that long. And they all wanted cigarettes because it costs 6,000 Syrian pounds for one cigarette inside. But what was also lacking was food, what was lacking was medical supplies, what was lacking was hygiene supplies, what was lacking was winter supplies. UN agencies and partners remain committed to staying and delivering humanitarian aid in Syria, despite insecurity and lack of access. There have been constant appeals to the parties to the conflict to facilitate safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all people in need, including in hard-to-reach and besieged areas. Despite repeated requests and negotiations, there has only been limited improvement in recent months in reaching those besieged. It is complex, Mr. El Hillo noted, recalling that the talks took three weeks before the UN and partners were able to enter the Old City of Homs. It is complex because it entails talking to everybody. Of course we are in regular contact, if not daily contact, with the Government. But in moments like this when we want to reach people in areas beyond the control of the Government, where the opposition armed groups are in control, we also need to talk to everybody, including the armed groups, and that s exactly what we did in the case of the Old City of Homs.
UN Daily News - 6 - As the conflict continues, human suffering is growing and people are finding it more and more difficult to cope, he stated. Three years of fighting has left the country devastated its industrial capacity has been reduced by 80 per cent; half the Syrian population is living below the poverty line; 2.5 million jobs have been lost; and unemployment is at 48 per cent. Syrians are very resilient people. They are very patient people. They help each other non-stop. But they are running out of stamina. They re running out of capacity. They are no longer able to cope because of not only the protracted nature of this conflict and its devastation but also because they themselves are running out of the means to help themselves and help each other. It is a situation that should not have happened, Mr. El Hillo emphasized. But it did happen, and it should not be allowed to continue. The more the conflict continues, the more the humanitarian needs are going to grow. One point we have to always keep in mind this not a humanitarian crisis. It is a political crisis with profound humanitarian consequences, he stated. The world said never again many times and the world is saying it in the case of Syria. We should do something about it. We should stop this madness. We should stop this conflict. It is not good that we continue to sit back and hope that this is going to resolve itself, by itself. It is not going to happen, it is only going to get worse and complicated. So there has to be that commitment to really bring this to a stop through political dialogue. South Sudan: UN working to mitigate risks of rainy season for displaced civilians 11 March - As the fighting continues in South Sudan, United Nations humanitarian agencies warned today that the approach of the rainy season is a major concern for the 706,000 people displaced since the beginning of the crisis in December 2013, 77,000 of which are seeking refuge at UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) bases. Civilians seek refuge at a compound of the UN Mission in South Sudan after fleeing fighting that broke out in December 2013. UN Photo/Rolla Hinedi On Friday 7 March, the first major rainstorm of the season caused flooding and destroyed or damaged hundreds of tents in a UNMISS base in Juba. Though the tents were able to be fixed and there were no reports of injured civilians, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other UN partners are working to develop ways to mitigate the risks of flooding and associated health and safety concerns. The shelter and non-food relief item humanitarian cluster, co-led by IOM, is currently testing a shelter prototype for the rainy season using sandbags, floor elevation and additional framing materials to fortify existing shelters, said IOM spokesperson Chris Lom at a press briefing in Geneva. He stressed that the cluster is also working to decongest displacement sites by identifying space for expansion, and were prepositioning relief supplies in anticipation of logistical constraints caused by flooded roads. In addition to the threat posed by inclement weather, humanitarian actors continue to face major challenges caused by constant insecurity. Recent fighting in the flashpoint town of Malakal, capital of South Sudan s Upper Nile state, forced the halt of humanitarian operations for several days and created serious obstacles to delivering aid. According to Corinne Momal-Vanian, Director of the UN Information Service in Geneva, UN-backed talks are currently underway to find a political solution and put an end to the violence. Meanwhile, Tarik Jasarevic, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), updated reporters on cholera vaccinations. He said that yesterday, the initiative had commenced in a third location - UN House in Juba with more than 3,300 people receiving the vaccinations.
UN Daily News - 7 - The first round had been completed a week earlier, with more than 65,000 people vaccinated. Mr. Jasarevic explained that cholera vaccinations required two rounds, so all of those people would be revaccinated shortly. Asked whether there had been an actual outbreak of cholera, he said that the operation was of a preventive nature, and it was using an existing stockpile managed by WHO, UNICEF, Medecins sans Frontiers and partners. Internally displaced persons in UN camps are considered to be at high risk. Fortunately, they were easy to access and easy to re-vaccinate two weeks later, he said. UN envoy urges restraint after Palestinians killed in security incidents in West Bank Israeli soldiers search a Palestinian's car at the Hawera checkpoint outside the town of Nablus in the West Bank. Photo: IRIN/Kobi Wolf (file) 11 March - A senior United Nations official in Jerusalem today voiced his deep concern at reports that three Palestinians died in separate security-related incidents in the West Bank within a 24-hour period, and called for restraint by all concerned. We urge that thorough investigations be conducted into all such cases, welcoming steps taken to this effect, and that accountability for any violations of international law be ensured, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, James W. Rawley, said in a statement. We call on all concerned to demonstrate restraint and work towards de-escalating tensions, he added. According to media reports, Jordanian judge Raed Zeiter was shot by Israeli soldiers on Monday after an altercation at the Allenby Bridge border crossing as he was making his way to the West Bank. Several hours after Mr. Zeiter s death, Israeli troops reportedly shot dead a 20-year-old Palestinian near the West Bank city of Ramallah who they said had been throwing stones at soldiers. DR Congo: UN envoy urges rebels to break away from armed groups 11 March - The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today warned rebel fighters in the country to surrender without delay and join the disarmament process or face consequences. Special Representative Martin Kobler meets with armed groups ex-combatants in Bweremana, DR of Congo (December 2013). UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti process. In a statement from the mission, known by its acronym MONUSCO, Special Representative Martin Kobler spoke directly to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda known as FDLR. I urge all FDLR rebels to immediately break away from their leaders who are being prosecuted by justice, otherwise they will be forcibly disarmed, he said, urging rebels to join the disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, reinsertion and reintegration (DDRRR) The DRC has been torn apart by civil wars and factional fighting since it became independent from Belgium in 1960, but with the support of a series of UN missions a measure of stability has been restored to much of the vast country over the past decade. Mr. Kobler also welcomed the launch of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) new operations against the FDLR and affiliated armed groups. The offensive is supported by MONUSCO, which last year was authorized by the Security Council to deploy an intervention brigade to carry out targeted offensive operations, with or without FARDC, against armed groups threatening peace in eastern DRC.
UN Daily News - 8 - The operations aim to neutralize the FDLR and their allies. They will also help reestablish State authority, in accordance with our mandate to protect civilians and our rules of engagement, Mr. Kobler said. The Security Council has mandated MONSUCO to support Congolese authorities to protect civilians, neutralize armed groups, and implement key reforms to consolidate peace in the country, particularly in the area of security sector reform and rule of law. More people fleeing as deadly attacks reported in Nigeria s Lake Chad region A group of refugees gather in the yard of a local man in Bosso, Niger. Photo: UNHCR/C.Arnaud 11 March - The United Nations refugee agency said today it is increasingly alarmed at the humanitarian impact of continuing violence in north-eastern Nigeria and stressed the importance of protecting civilians. Newly arrived refugees interviewed by the staff of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Niger have spoken of atrocities on the islands and shores of Lake Chad in north-east Nigeria s Borno state. One woman described corpses strewn through houses and floating in the water. She said people feared staying even to bury their dead or find missing relatives. Others recounted fleeing a village shooting incident and said women and children were being kidnapped and taken away by unidentified assailants, UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards told reporters in Geneva. The latest attacks are reported to have begun in mid-february and were continuing five days ago, he said, adding that, in all, some 2,000 people have crossed into south-east Niger s Diffa region over the past four weeks. In addition to the attacks on Lake Chad, some of the new arrivals have come from areas near Borno s state capital, Maiduguri, that have been affected by fighting. UNHCR reiterates to all parties to the conflict in north-eastern Nigeria the vital importance of protecting civilians from harm, Mr. Edwards stressed. The insurgency in the three north-eastern Nigerian states of Yobe, Adamawa and Borno has displaced more than 470,000 people inside Nigeria. Refugees arriving in neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger are in addition to this. Since Nigeria declared a state of emergency in the three states in May 2013, more than 57,000 people have fled to Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Some 17,000 of these are registered Nigerian refugees. The rest are nationals of the surrounding countries who had been living in Nigeria for decades. Niger has received the majority some 40,000 concentrated in the Diffa region, a desert in the country s eastern edge. In Ukraine, UN official discusses human rights measures to deescalate current crisis 11 March - Senior United Nations official Ivan Šimonovic is meeting with local authorities in Kharkiv, Ukraine, today to discuss human rights-related measures that can be taken to help de-escalate tensions in the country. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonovic. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas He is also raising with the authorities the allegations regarding human rights violations, and meeting with a range of pro-russian as well as pro-ukrainian civil society representatives, Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in Geneva. Mr. Šimonovic, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, is in Ukraine to stress
UN Daily News - 9 - the paramount importance of ensuring respect for international human rights laws and standards during these difficult times, Ms. Shamdasani stated. He is assessing the human rights situation in the region, calling for respect for human rights and discussing options for the UN and international partners to assist in strengthening capacity on the ground where necessary. Mr. Šimonovic, who is based in New York, was dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on a week-long mission to Ukraine to continue the UN s high-level engagement with the country, to assess the human rights situation, and to develop recommendations for further action. Senior UN officials have appealed to all parties to de-escalate tensions and to engage in direct and constructive dialogue to forge a peaceful way forward in Ukraine, which has been witnessing unrest for several months. Tensions heightened last week as lawmakers in the autonomous Ukrainian region of Crimea, where additional Russian troops and armoured vehicles have recently been deployed, voted to join Russia and to hold a referendum on 16 March to validate the decision. Although Mr. Šimonovic had planned to travel to Crimea on Wednesday, it was announced today that he will not be able to do so due to logistical constraints, especially given the fact that the airport there is closed for flights coming from other regions of Ukraine. He will instead travel to Lviv. So far during his visit, he has met with the Acting Foreign Minister, the Ombudsperson, human rights defenders, the diplomatic community and the various UN agencies working in the capital, Kiev. He is due to hold further high-level meetings there on Friday. UN supports opening of third Syrian refugee camp in Jordan at end of April A scene from the crowded Za'atri refugee camp in Jordan hosting many Syrian refugees. Photo: UNHCR/J. Kohler 11 March - The United Nations refugee agency is preparing for new Syrian arrivals once Jordan s third refugee camp opens on 30 April, a spokesperson today confirmed. The Azraq camp, located nearly 100 kilometers east of the capital, Amman, will eventually accommodate up to 130,000 people. Many of these are expected to be people recently crossing from Syria and refugees already in the country willing to be reunited with newly arrived families. The opening will be timely as the past weeks have seen the numbers of people crossing the border increasing by 50 per cent to an average of approximately 600 daily, UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards told journalists in Geneva. This increase, combined with a lower number of spontaneous returns to Syria, is putting strains on Za atari, he added in reference to the the main camp hosting Syrian refugees in Jordan. Housing more than 120,000 half of them children Za atari become the fourth largest city in Jordan and is also the world s second largest refugee camp behind Dadaab in eastern Kenya. There are 584,600 Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR in Jordan, the majority of them live in urban areas throughout the country and the remaining 20 per cent are in refugee camps and settlements. Nearly 2.5 million Syrians have fled to Jordan and other neighbouring countries since the conflict flared three years ago. The fighting killed more than 100,000 people and has injured some 680,000 others. More than 9.3 million people are in need of assistance inside Syria, including at least 6.5 million who are internally displaced. The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)