(MENAFN- Jordan Times) Regional relief agencies and governments are mobilising relief efforts for Syrian refugees in Jordan, according to the Kingdom's main charity organisation, with the Kingdom receiving humanitarian assistance from countries stretching from Libya to the Arab Gulf.
According to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) - the leading body tasked with coordinating aid efforts in Jordan - the last two months have seen a spike in donations from Arab and Muslim countries, with food aid caravans rolling in weekly.
"We are seeing more and more agencies and individuals wanting to help, and this has alleviated the burden facing local organisations and the government," JHCO Secretary General Ayman Al Mufleh said.
These caravans, carrying hundreds of tonnes of food assistance, have included dozens of trucks from the Saudi, Kuwaiti and UAE Red Crescent societies, and most recently a 14-truck convoy that arrived this week from Libya, donated by revolutionaries from the February 17 Movement.
Arab relief agencies and governments are not the only ones extending goodwill to the Kingdom's burgeoning refugee community.
Individuals from across the Arab world are flooding the JHCO with donations - ranging from hundreds to "tens of thousands" of dollars.
"There are many people who are watching the conflict and want to do their part to help the Syrian people, and we provide an outlet," Mufleh said.
Despite the "overwhelming" regional response, the JHCO is reporting a shortfall in the main "target" areas of concern: medical supplies and cash assistance to help Syrian families cover skyrocketing monthly rents that often exceed JD200 per month.
"While the outpouring of support has been appreciated, until now the vast majority of aid has been basic food assistance," Mufleh said.
"Currently the major obstacle facing the Syrian community is housing, and we hope agencies and individuals can help in this."
Earlier this year, the government entrusted the charity to receive and coordinate humanitarian relief to the thousands of Syrians crossing into the Kingdom in order to avoid duplication of efforts.
The organisation currently distributes food relief, medical supplies and cash assistance to Syrian families residing in urban centres across the country each month.
The UN Refugee Agency has registered over 16,500 Syrian refugees since the launch of a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters last March, with various relief agencies placing the total number of vulnerable Syrians in Jordan at some 30,000.
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