The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The “forgotten” camp of al-Rokban, between the hammer of UN promises, and the anvil of the play of the “Russians and the regime forces”

The suffering and humanitarian crises continue for the people of al-Rokban camp at the triangle border of Iraq – Syria – Jordan, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights continues to keep up with the events in the “forgotten” camp, where the majority of those who remain in the camp refuse to go out to regime forces’-controlled areas, and the practices against them to force them eventually to go out compulsorily, through a new Russian-sponsored play that shows itself as if it wants peace back in the area, but sources of the Syrian Observatory confirmed that the Russian mediation did not protect those who went to get out to Homs city from al-Rukban camp, where the agreement was that the men and young men would not be taken to the mandatory and reserve service until 6 months later, but regime’s intelligence immediately withdrew tens of young men towards compulsory service, in addition to the arbitrary arrests of people who got out of the camp, and the sources added to the “Syrian Observatory” that residents of the camp trusted the United Nations when they entered with humanitarian aid and promised to find solutions for them, but what happened was exactly the opposite of that, and it was only in the interest of the Russians and the regime forces, keeping the displaced people of “al-Rokban” camp between the hammer of the Russians and the regime, and the anvil of the United Nations.

The Syrian Observatory published at the end of September 2019 that tens of residents of al-Rukban camp located at the border triangle of Iraq – Syria – Jordan; are preparing to go out towards regime forces’-controlled areas in the coming hours, under the supervision of a delegation from the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, local sources told the Syrian Observatory that a large number of camp residents wishing to leave the camp decided to leave after the situation inside the camp gone severely bad, such as poor services and health care and the significant shortage of food aid provided to them by humanitarian organizations, also the displaced people inside the camp received promises from the United Nations and the Syrian Red Crescent to provide assistance to them, but on the afternoon of the 27th of September 2019, the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent withheld the humanitarian assistance they brought to the camp, Because of the very low number of citizens who wanted to leave towards regime forces’-controlled areas, as the number of registered people days ago for leaving did not exceed 100, but because aid was suspended by the United Nations and the Red Crescent, many residents began registering to leave, because there is no other way to survive as the displaced people heavily depend on the humanitarian assistance.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that a UN delegation entered al-Rukban camp, which is located at the Iraqi –Syrian – Jordanian border triangle, to evacuate those wishing to leave to regime forces’-controlled areas, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: the United Nations will evacuate approximately 500 of the camp to regime forces’-controlled areas, while 11000 of those who refuse to get out will remain in the camp, where 2 delegations of the UN entered in two stages, the first was to carry out a questionnaire about the wishes of the population, whether to stay or to go out to regime forces’-controlled areas, while the second phase took place in the past days, during which humanitarian aid and food supplies were distributed to the camp’s residents, and the evacuation will take place in 3 batches within 30 days, each with 3500 people who will be transferred to shelters, the majority of which are located in areas of Rif Dimashq which had been prepared earlier.

The Syrian Observatory monitored on the 11th of September 2019 a large public discontent within al-Rukban camp at the Iraqi – Syrian – Jordanian border triangle, due to the mechanism of distribution of the humanitarian aid by the United Nations and the Syrian Red Crescent, where reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that the priority is for tribes and their families who participated earlier in Jlighem meeting with the regime forces about safe passages from the camp, not to mention the severe shortage of quotas that were supposed to meet the needs of the camp as a start, also the sources reported that the convoy of the United Nations and the Red Crescent is preparing to leave the camp due to the shortage of aid materials, where they were supposed to operate there for 15 days starting from the day they entered on the 5th of September 2019, where Syrian Observatory published back then that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that a delegation of the United Nations and the Syrian Red Crescent of the regime; entered al-Rukban camp which is located at the far southeast of Syria at the triangle of the Iraqi – Syrian – Jordanian border, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: the entry of the delegation came in order to register names of people who want to return to regime forces’-controlled areas, and to count what is left of people in al-Rukban camp.

The Syrian Observatory published on the 1st of August 2019 that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that a new batch left the forgotten camp of al-Rukban, which is located in the far southeast of Syria at the Iraqi – Syrian – Jordanian border triangle, where about 200 people have gotten out among tens of families from the camp towards regime forces’-controlled areas yesterday, and they were transferred to shelters in Homs city, and sources of the Syrian Observatory reported that the exit of civilians has decreased recently; due to their fear of the practices of the regime forces and its intelligence when arriving in Homs city such as arrests and beating, while the camp is witnessing a tragic situation from the high price of daily needs -if any-, and the lack of medicine and treatment due to the siege of the regime forces on the forgotten camp, amid continuous shameful international silence.

And with the exit of more people, it rose to 17900 the number of people who left the forgotten camp since February 2019, after they had enough and risked their lives heading towards the unknown in regime forces’-controlled areas and the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 10th of February 2019 that the exit from the forgotten camp of al-Rokban continues which is located at the far southeast of Syria at the Iraqi – Syrian – Jordanian border triangle, after they have had enough with the humanitarian catastrophe and tragedy in the camp in this desert, where the Syrian Observatory learned that about 500 people left the camp a un Wednesday, the 10th of July 2019 on board of tens of cars and buses to regime forces’-controlled areas, through Jlighem crossing then to Homs city where the unknown, which they chose to live instead of the camp that lacks the slightest means of living under the siege from the regime forces, who aims through this besiege to force the citizens to get out of al-Rokban camp, amid the usual international silence towards the Syrian people.