Za'atari refugee camp , Jordan ( CNN ) -- I 've spent the past week working in the Za'atari refugee camp in northern Jordan , about six miles from the Syrian border . The camp was opened less than a month ago to receive Syrians fleeing the violence in their country . Built on a barren desert plain without a tree or shrub in sight , it can seem an unwelcoming place to arrive , even for a refugee . Dust storms and scorching heat have taken their toll on refugees and aid workers here . But given that less than 4 % of Jordanian land is arable the terrain is not a surprise . Over 20,000 Syrian refugees have moved into Za'atari camp already , and the pace of new arrivals to the camp has more than doubled , with more than 14,000 arriving in the past week alone . Yesterday , we received over 3,000 new arrivals overnight , up from an average of 600 per day just last week . The refugee flow to Jordan has a direct correlation with the situation inside Syria . As fighting has escalated around Syria 's southern city of Dara ' a , where the uprising began almost 18 months ago , the number of refugees here is increasing dramatically . We are all bracing for a potentially massive influx in the coming days . Yesterday , I met many newly-arrived refugees , some just children , who told me how had they witnessed family members and neighbors being killed in Syria . One 7-year old girl told me she saw her neighbor 's throat cut in front of her . Her family fled in the dark of night , walking several hours before they could cross into Jordan . Like every refugee I have met here , they were n't able to bring any belongings -- they came with only the clothes on their backs . Humanitarian aid organizations and UN agencies have been working around the clock to accommodate the sudden increase in new arrivals of refugees , while also working to improve the conditions . But the camp is growing exponentially and it is hard to keep up . I met with camp manager Mahmoud Amoush of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization yesterday -- he told me , `` We need more of everything . '' More tents , improved water systems , more safe spaces and playgrounds for children and psycho-social counseling for children who have been traumatized are all top priorities . I have spoken with many mothers here , and most report that their children have terrible nightmares and are not behaving normally -- either they are being very aggressive and misbehaving , or they are silent and afraid , running and hiding at any loud noise . Wasfeyah , a refugee mother of five children , told me that when her family was trying to escape to Jordan , they were shot at and her eldest son , Ali , was hit in the head by a bullet . The blood from his wound sprayed on his younger brother who is just 6-years old . Ali survived and they made it across the border , but his little brother often wakes up screaming `` there is blood on my shirt . '' Wasfeyah does n't have any money to buy new clothes , so the little boy still wears the blood-stained shirt from that night . Nearly half of the camps ' residents are children , and there is next to nothing for children to do here . Providing an outlet for kids who have been through unimaginable , violent events and left everything they know behind is critical to helping them recover and just be kids . We have built one playground and another is almost completed . There are also child-friendly spaces that offer activities to kids . They are hard to miss in the camp -- just follow the unexpected sound of laughter and you will find swarms of kids singing , swinging , sliding and occasionally arguing over who 's turn it is . More playgrounds and child-friendly spaces are being planned as the camp population grows . Improvements to the camp continue despite the massive amount of work going into accommodating new arrivals . The quality of the food has been a major complaint from many refugees in the camps . Currently , they receive hot , pre-cooked meals that are distributed throughout the camp , but now communal kitchens are being built so families can cook for themselves . Electricity is now installed in 40 per cent of the camp , making life a bit easier . Charging mobile phones seems to be the primary use so far , based on what I have seen in the tents I visit . Dust and sand storms are one of the greatest challenges of living in the camps . It is not just a discomfort , but it has become a health issue and camp doctors report that they are seeing many cases of respiratory problems , especially in infants and small children , due to the dust . Many days it is hard to see more than a few meters in front of you in the camp , as the air is thick with sand and debris that is carried by the strong winds that blow through the barren camp . One mother told me , `` not even a camel could live in this place , it is so hot and dusty . '' The camp has been bringing in tons of gravel that is being spread on the ground to help alleviate the problem . Water is one of the most pressing long-term issue that faces the refugees , as well as the local Jordanian communities . Jordan has inadequate fresh water supplies for its own population , and the refugee community is putting increased demands on an already short supply . Water is currently being trucked into the camps from local wells in the community , but Mercy Corps will be drilling a new well and developing a water system with other organizations that will serve the camp , and alleviate the need to take scarce water from the host community . The work ahead , to provide all the desperately needed services for the refugees is daunting , but it is under way . Each day I am in the camp I see progress being made , even as we struggle to meet the pressing needs of all the new arrivals . No one knows how long the camp will be here and when the Syrian refugees will be able to go home . Many anticipate it will be a long haul , but all of us , especially the Syrians here , are hopeful they can return soon . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Cassandra Nelson .
Za'atari refugee camp in northern Jordan is home to more than 20,000 Syrian refugees . The United Nations estimates that there are about half a million Syrians living outside the country. The refugees are putting pressure on already scarce water resources in the region . As the situation in Syria escalates , many fear they will be in the camp for some time .