(MENAFN- Jordan Times) Jordan is studying a proposal to grant Syrian refugees "ownership" of residential trailers to be introduced in the Zaatari camp, allowing families to take the mobile housing with them when they return to their homeland, according to the UN.
The move would be aimed at aiding the post-conflict transition for displaced Syrians, many of whom have lost their homes to aerial bombardments and clashes between Syrian government and rebel forces, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Representative Andrew Harper told The Jordan Times.
"Under this proposal, Syrians will be able to return home right away once the conflict is over and begin rebuilding their lives, rather than wait for the international community to step up," Harper said.
The initiative would shorten the post-conflict stay of thousands of Syrian refugees, whose presence is estimated to cost the Kingdom over $400 million next year.
The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) has announced that it will soon introduce dozens of trailers to the camp in a bid to upgrade housing facilities from the current plastic triage tents, which residents say do not protect them from the extreme desert weather conditions.
According to JHCO Secretary General Ayman Mifleh, officials aim to house 7,000 of the camp's 25,500 residents in trailers within the next month with the support of funding from Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Despite the contributions, the UN warns that officials require "millions more" in assistance to fully upgrade Zaatari's facilities.
Amman's ability to provide Syrians trailer "ownership" rests on the international community's response to a $429 million aid appeal launched by Jordan and the UN last week, $150 million of which is reserved for Zaatari camp renovations, according to relief officials.
In the face of a daily refugee influx that has reached as high as 4,000 persons per day, the authorities are racing to expand the camp, located on the outskirts of the border city of Mafraq, whose population is projected to grow to 80,000 by the end of the year.
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