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Syrian refugees in Jordan use donkey-drawn carts amid lockdown

Donkey-drawn carts have become the main means of transportation inside the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan after Jordanian authorities prevented cars from entering and leaving the camp since March 2020 as part of its coronavirus measures.
A Syrian refugee rides a donkey cart at the Zaatari refugee camp, 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the Jordanian capital, Amman, on Feb. 15, 2021.

AMMAN, Jordan — With the Zaatari Syrian refugee camp being isolated for more than a year as part of Jordan’s preventive measures against COVID-19, its residents have resorted to using antiquated traditional means of transportation.

The Zaatari camp in northern Jordan is home to 79,305 Syrian refugees, according to data from the UNHCR issued on May 31. Jordanian authorities have prevented cars from entering and leaving the camp since March 2020, so refugees have been using special buses with permits to travel within the camp.

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