(MENAFN- Jordan Times) Jordan is expected to become a logistics hub for Syrian relief efforts, diplomatic and official sources say, as the months-long conflict in the Kingdom's northern neighbour devolves into an emerging humanitarian crisis.
Jordan and the international community are in "advanced discussions" to establish a regional hub in the Kingdom to receive, organise and dispatch humanitarian assistance to Syria, according to diplomatic source.
Under the proposal, confirmed by officials, Amman would convert the old Mafraq airport into a modern logistics centre to serve as an "air corridor" and receive medical, food and other basic humanitarian aid from around the world.
Officials stress that the proposed centre will serve humanitarian purposes only, with the aim of acting as a "springboard" for international institutions and governments seeking to address the humanitarian consequences of the ongoing conflict.
The diplomatic source noted that Mafraq was proposed to host the centre as it lies within 50 kilometres of the Syrian border and has already become a hub for local and international relief agencies due to the high concentration of Syrian refugees.
One of the main factors leading to Jordan's selection is its proximity to hard-hit provinces such as Daraa and Idlib, and ongoing diplomatic relations between Amman and Damascus, the source added.
If established, the "humanitarian hub" would be the first of its kind. Talk of its establishment comes amid rising calls from the international community for Damascus to allow the entry of basic assistance to civilians who have been under military siege for months.
Officials could not confirm when the proposed centre would be established, with the diplomatic source indicating only that the hub would likely be operational by the end of the year if given the green light by Jordan and the US.
Jordan continues to follow an open-border policy, granting refuge and access to public health and education services to some 125,000 Syrians who have entered the Kingdom since March 2011.
In recent weeks officials have underlined the increased burden the refugee population is placing on the Kingdom's limited resources, with the spike in water demand costing the country $14,000 a day alone.
Despite the increased burden, the government has not indicated that it will reverse its policy, instead calling on the international community to boost its assistance to the increasingly vulnerable displaced community.
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