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Russia and US Work Closely to Withdraw Refugees From Rukban Camp - Moscow

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Foreign Ministry is closely working with the United States on withdrawal of refugees from the Syrian Rukban camp to the territory controlled by the Syrian government, Nikolai Burtsev, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Sputnik

"The US side proposes to resolve the problem of Rukban through the evacuation of refugees in the territory controlled by the Syrian government. Details of the possible operation have not been coordinated yet. We will continue to work closely with the United States to resolve this issue," Nikolai Burtsev, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a meeting of interdepartmental headquarters of Russia and Syria on the return of refugees.

According to Burtsev, preparations are also underway for providing access to UN humanitarian convoys from the territory controlled by the Syrian government, which informed the Russian embassy in Damascus about the agreement to authorize the convoy's passage.

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He also noted that the Jordanians linked "the final solution to the camp problem with the opening of the Nasib border crossing on the Syrian border and providing full freedom for the mass return of Syrian refugees".

Syrian Gov't, Russian Military Evacuating Refugees From Al-Rukban Camp
The official added that the Jordanian side called for starting with providing camp residents "with all kinds of humanitarian assistance from the Syrian side".

The Rukban refugee camp is located in Syria's At Tanf district (Homs province) near the Jordanian border, next to a US military base where Syrian opposition forces are claimed to be trained.

The situation in the camp has long been critical due to US troops resisting attempts to deliver humanitarian aid to the refugees, and the presence of Daesh* (banned in Russia) militants in the area.

*Daesh, also known as Islamic State ISIS or ISIL is a terror group, banned in the United States, Russia and many other countries.

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