IDPs in Syria’s Rukban camp call on NGOs to lift government siege
RUKBAN, Syria (North Press) – IDPs in Rukban camp in southern Syria, near the Syrian border with Jordan and Iraq demanded on Wednesday international and humanitarian organizations to pressure the Syrian government to lift the siege on the camp.
A source in the camp’s civil council told North Press the recent siege began about a month ago when the Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed militias closed the only route to the camp.
The source added that goods used to enter the camp through this route after paying fees to the government forces and Iranian-backed militias, but the road was cut off and a “strict siege” was imposed on the camp.
Rukban camp is situated within the 55-kilometre “de-confliction zone” east of Homs Governorate in al-Tanf area close to the Syrian border with Jordan and Iraq. It was established in 2014 to house IDPs from the eastern governorate of Homs and the city of Palmyra who fled battles between several forces and the Islamic State (ISIS).
The source stressed the camp is experiencing severe shortages of food and medicine amid fears of the spread of famine and diseases, adding that the government forces are “pressuring the residents to leave to areas under their control, but most of them fear arrest and violations.”
About 8,000 residents of Rukban camp, have been suffering from a severe siege since 2018. The government forces have prevented international and local NGOs from accessing the camp, citing security concerns. This has significantly affected the living conditions of the camp’s inhabitants.
Meanwhile, IDPs told North Press they are preparing for an open sit-in at the beginning of next week.