The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Most of the residents of al-Rokban camp refuse the Russian guarantees to return them to their areas after regime’s arrest of 50 youths who have “settled their situation” and volunteered in the ranks of the regime’s militias

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from reliable sources who confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that most of the residents of al-Rokban camp refuse to return to their areas, even with the Russian guarantees provided to them, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: the residents of al-Rokban camp have rejected the Jordanian – Russian consensus to return more than 60000 residents of al-Rokban camp to the areas from which they come; which are controlled by the regime forces, and although the Russians provided guarantees for the return, the displaced people in the camp rejected it completely, reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that the reason behind this rejection was the arrest of about 50 young men who are from towns and cities in the eastern countryside of Homs, despite “settling their situation and reconciling with the regime”, where the youths have “settled their situation” in groups called “Hesn al-Watan” (Fort of the Motherland of the regime forces, but the military intelligence interrogated and investigated them first, then arrested them despite the fact that they service in a faction of the regime forces, which raised the discontent of people and pushed them to refuse the return and reject the Russian guarantees.

 Days ago the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from reliable sources that a young displaced man in al-Rokban camp near the Syrian – Jordanian border, died after the deterioration of his health greatly after he had a surgery, also medical sources confirmed that the deterioration was the result of having no aid and the absence sterilization materials in the camp, which caused the wounds to fester and worsen his health until he died today, Monday, the 5th of November 2018, on the second day of distribution of the humanitarian aid to the internally displaced people in the camp, raising to 6, the number of people who were killed in the camp since early October 2018, including 2 children and 2 citizens, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the assistance is still being distributed in the camp by the teams working on delivering the aid to residents of the camp, where the delivery of this aid to the entire sections inside the camp is expected to end, where there are no obstructions in the delivery as well as a state of satisfaction among the citizens for the entry of the aid, which has been stopped since the beginning of this year and the camp was besieged entirely weeks ago, and the sources confirmed that the United Nations team that arrived in the area under Russian protection; was briefed on the humanitarian, living, and health conditions of the camp’s residents.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 3rd of November 2018 that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored a convoy of UN humanitarian aid heading to al-Rokban camp, which is located at the Syrian-Jordanian border near the base of the International Coalition, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the arrival of shipments of aid aboard a convoy to the camp area, which suffers from tragic humanitarian conditions, shortages of medicines, food, and lack of health care, after the interruption of aid as a result of closing the roads to the camp, were through these routes the humanitarian aid and foodstuffs used to arrive, and reliable sources confirmed that the aid had not entered the camp since April 2017, while several aid coming from Jordan were distributed during the past months, while the Syrian Observatory monitored several Russian vehicles escorting the convoy and protecting the convoy consists of a large number of cars and trucks, amid the gathering of thousands of citizens to receive humanitarian and food assistance in the camp which witnessed the death of 5 citizens, including 2 children and 2 women, and in which torrents swept away many tents and drowned others, amid tragic situation lived by the camp’s residents, where the camp is inhabited mostly by citizens from the eastern countryside of Homs, Palmyra, Mahin, Huwwarin, and al-Qaryatayn, it is also inhabited by a small number of people from Deir Ezzor and al-Raqqah provinces, it has a population of more than 60000 civilians and members of military factions, which are: Jaysh al-Sharqiyyah, Shuhada’a al-Qaryatayn, Jaysh Ahrar al-Asha’er, Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra, Ahmed al-Abdu Forces, Jaysh Tahrir al-Sham, of who refuse to settle with the regime, where they had displaced to it at the beginning of September 2015, following the progress of the military war machine of the regime forces towards their areas.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 24th of October 2018 that the suffering of residents of al-Rokban camp near the Syrian-Jordanian border increases, as a result of the continued close of the supply routes leading to the camp by the regime forces and their allies; as the weather continues to worsen, amid anticipation for entering food aid by international Organizations within the next hours or days, after the spreads of disease and hunger in the stricken camp, which –in addition to the severe shortage of food aid– suffers from worsening weather conditions.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 16th of September 2018, that information about reaching an agreement between Shuhada’a Al-Qaryatayn Brigade operating in Rif Dimashq Desert and the area of Al-Rokban Camp, and between the Russian side and the regime, on the departure of the brigade which operates in the area to the northern sector of Aleppo countryside, and the reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that preparations started for the departure towards the Syrian North, in the next few days, and the sources also confirmed that the agreement took place via a mediator (a former commander in the factions of the Eastern Qalamoun), who carried out a reconciliation with the regime months ago, while it is expected that the number of those who will leave towards the Syrian North, will reach about 5000 people, of those who live in Al-Rokban Camp in the Desert near the Syrian – Jordanian border, and they will be transported to the controlled areas of the forces of the Turkish-backed operation of the “Euphrates Shield”, and it is expected that the fighters of other factions in the area which is near Al-Tanf who desire to leave, will also be transported with the batches heading towards the controlled areas of the Turkish forces and the factions backed by them.

It is noteworthy that Shuhada’a Al-Qaryatayn Brigade was within the factions which a displacement agreement was reached with in the Eastern Qalamoun, where a final agreement has been reached between representatives of the Russians and the regime and representatives of the areas of al-Nasriyyeh, Jeroud, al-Atnah, al-Rahiba, al-Sharqi Mountain and Batra Mountain, according which about 6240 fighters and citizens have been displaced, while the meeting that took place between parties of the agreement on Thursday, the 19th of April 2018, led to a full agreement among them, which provides exit of all of who wants to from the factions of the area (Jaysh al-Islam, Ahmad al-Abdu Forces , Jaysh Tahrir al-Sham, Ahrar al-Sham Movement, Jaysh Osud al-Sharqiyyah, Shuhada’a al-Qaryatayn Brigades, Saraya Ahel al-Sham and members from Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham), in addition to the families of fighters and other civilians who refuse the agreement towards the Syrian, after handing over the medium and heavy weapons.