75,000 Trapped In Refugee Camp On Jordan-Syria Border, Amnesty Warns

September 17, 2016

A clampdown on Syrian refugees entering Jordan has left 75,000 people stranded in the desert in a no man's land between the countries, cut off from aid for months, Amnesty International says.

The rights group released satellite images Thursday that show the extent of a makeshift refugee camp in al-Rukban, an area of desert known as the berm, along Jordan's northeast border with Syria. It's also near both countries' borders with Iraq.

The camp grew from 368 shelters a year ago to 8,295 this month, Amnesty said.

The group also released video footage, obtained by a tribal council whose activists operate in the area, that it said showed dozens of makeshift graves of refugees who had perished amid the desperate conditions.

Amnesty said the graves in the footage were visible in satellite images, verifying the claims of their existence. CNN could not independently verify the assertions.

Aerial images illustrate the growth of the camp on Syria-Jordan border since December.

"The situation at the berm offers a grim snapshot of the consequences of the world's abject failure to share responsibility for the global refugee crisis," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International's crisis response director, said in a statement.

"It's a desperate picture for people trapped at the berm, food is running out and disease is rife. In some cases, people are suffering or even dying from preventable illnesses, simply because they are not allowed into Jordan and the authorities have blocked access for aid, medical treatment and a meaningful humanitarian response."

Jordan has said it is hosting more than 1 million Syrians, about 650,000 of whom are officially registered as refugees with the United Nations. Over the past year, the kingdom has restricted the entry of Syrians, citing security concerns.

(CNN)