AMMAN, Jordan — Officials said clashes have erupted over tent distribution in a Jordanian camp for Syrian refugees, highlighting the difficult living conditions there.
Refugee affairs spokesman Anmar Hmud said Syrian refugees fought each other, and one was slightly injured. They also tried to attack Jordanian riot police guarding the Zaatari camp Sunday as tents donated by a Norwegian charity were distributed. He said the police fired teargas to disperse the crowd.
Rioting by refugees has become a recurrent problem, especially as winter storms and icy temperatures have worsened Zaatari’s already harsh living conditions.
Andrew Harper, the U.N. refugee agency representative to Jordan, confirmed that the clash took place but provided no further details.
Jordan hosts about 320,000 Syrian refugees who fled the civil war. About 70,000 are housed in the camp.
