Water trucks head to Syrians stranded on Jordan border

In this Wednesday, June 22, 2016 photo, Syrians walk through the Ruqban refugee camp in Jordan's northeast border with Syria. Refugees stranded along the Jordanian border said that clean water is getting scarce in Ruqban after Jordan declared the area a "closed military zone" after a car bomb attack launched from Ruqban killed six Jordanian troops and wounded 14 at dawn Tuesday. Some 64,000 Syrians there depend on daily deliveries of food and water by international aid agencies based in Jordan. (AP Photo/Abu Adel) (The Associated Press)

prev next

Syrian refugees gather for water at the Ruqban refugee camp in Jordan's northeast border with Syria on Thursday, June 23, 2016. They had been cut off from supplies following Jordan's closure of the area after a car bomb attack launched from Ruqban killed six Jordanian troops and wounded 14 at dawn Tuesday. Two days later on Thursday, 32 water trucks drove to Ruqban and the smaller Hadalat camp with about 64,000 Syrians. (AP Photo) (The Associated Press)

AMMAN, Jordan – An international aid official says 32 trucks have left for the Syrian-Jordanian border to deliver water to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who have been cut off from aid since earlier in the week.

He says Thursday's shipment marks the first confirmed attempt to send water from Jordan to the stranded refugees since Jordan sealed the area in response to a deadly attack on its troops Tuesday.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.

Refugees warned Wednesday that people had begun drinking dirty water.

For months, refugees stuck on the border received food and water from Jordan-based international aid agencies.

Government spokesman Mohammed Momani said that with the border sealed, aid groups will need to find alternatives to sending supplies from Jordan.