- Harrowing journey for refugees
- Fleeing the bombs
- Acid poured on handcuff wounds
- Shelter offers relative comfort
- Winter journey to safety
- 'Please, photos and write . . . anything'
- Existence in exile severe
- 2000 asylum seekers interviewed daily
- Night-time crawl under fire to escape
- 85,000 souls spread across camp
- Young scholar pleads for help
- Travel diary
The camp was opened in April this year. It is a sprawling site set over 15sq km.
It is, however, purpose-built, orderly and secure for its occupants.
It has shelters rather than tents, excellent toilet facilities, a supermarket (where they can redeem food vouchers), schools and a 130-bed hospital.
The camp has 12,700 inhabitants, but has capacity for 50,000 to 100,000.
This planning for expansion demonstrates Jordan's commitment to providing refuge to its neighbours.
It is managed by the Jordanian Government with the UNHCR and 19 other global aid agencies.
A billboard shows the flags of 37 contributing counties.
It features the Australian flag.
The New Zealand flag is conspicuous by its absence.
On arriving at the camp we are met at a well-guarded military checkpoint by a plainclothes policeman, who tells us he will be joining us on our tour of the camp to assist us with ''PR''.
Throughout our tour of Azraq he seems impatient and intimidating.
Our UNHCR guide, Ayman Bino, explains that unlike the Zaatari Refugee Camp, which was opened as an emergency centre within two weeks of its first planning, there has been time to develop Azraq as a purpose-built facility.
He proudly shows us its solar street lighting and the solar units each family are given for lighting and charging cellphones - there is no electricity in residential sections of the camp.
''This is a much better place. Zaatari was opened in a hurry but work has begun on redesigning it,'' he says.
- Steve Addison
