According to reports, the Syrian refugee influx into Jordan has intensified with more than 1,500 Syrians, many of them wounded, entering the country on December 16. The increased numbers are a result of intensified violence in southern Syria. The UN High Commission for Refugees has said that the humanitarian crisis in Syria is likely to worsen next year, and that it is bracing for an influx of between 1.1 and 1.8 million refugees by end of 2013. It would be worth noting that Jordan has followed an open-border policy since the start of the Syrian crisis, and has taken in more than 250,000 Syrians so far, far more than any of Syria’s other neighbours. 1

• 1. “Syrian exodus to Jordan intensifies as UN ups refugee forecasts”, The Jordan Times, December 16, 2012 at http://jordantimes.com/syrian-exodus-to-jordan-intensifies-as-un-ups-ref...