clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Russia opens two 'humanitarian corridors' in Syria’s Al-Rukban camp

February 20, 2019 at 12:44 am

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani within the 4th trilateral summit on Syria on February 14, 2019 in Sochi, Russia. ( Sefa Karacan – Anadolu Agency )

Russia’s defence ministry has opened two “humanitarian corridors” for the displaced refugees in the Syrian border camp of Al-Rukban, the chief of Russia’s National Defence Control Centre, Mikhail Mizintsev, announced yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference held in Russia’s Moscow, Mizintsev said two checkpoints had been set up near the Jleighem and Jebel Al-Gurab settlements.

“This step is dictated by the urgent need for an early solution to the problems of the Syrian citizens, who are still living in appalling conditions,” he explained.

The Russian defence ministry’s move was initially announced on Saturday. At the time it said that the initiative was aimed at “allowing the Syrian refugees to leave voluntarily to the places they choose to stay.”

Read: Saudi Arabia to domestically produce Russian Kalashnikov rifles

Sources at the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces recently told Anadolu Agency that the Russian military did not “adequately” inform the parties involved in the move. They added that they had been experiencing difficulties in communicating with the civil administrations at the Rukban camp.  “The camp inhabitants are not aware of the Russian move,” the sources stressed.

Al-Rukban is an isolated camp located in the border forbidden area between Syria and Jordan. The camp hosts more than 40,000 Syrian refugees, who fled the war for Jordan.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights has reported growing numbers of casualties in the camp due to starvation, disease and lack of medicine.