“Negotiations are underway between Jordan, the United States and Russia with an aim to find a final solution to the problem of the Rukban camp, ensuring the conditions for the voluntary return of its residents to their towns and villages liberated from the Islamic State [terrorist group, banned in Russia],” Safadi said in a statement, obtained by Sputnik.
However, Safadi underlined that “the residents of Rukban are Syrians who are residing on the territory of Syria even though Jordan had provided humanitarian aid for them through its territory when there was no other option. The road to Rukban now exists from the Syrian territory, humanitarian aid can be delivered from Syria itself, so ensuring the needs of the camp is the responsibility of Syria and the United Nations, not Jordan.”
The Rukban refugee camp, which now hosts about 50,000-60,000 people, 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 being trained. Moscow and Damascus, on one side, and Washington on the other accuse each other of hindering the delivery of UN humanitarian assistance to the area.
READ MORE: Russia and US Work Closely to Withdraw Refugees From Rukban Camp — Moscow
Late in September, Jordan's foreign minister told Sputnik that Amman and Moscow are engaged in serious discussions related to the dismantling of the Rukban camp and safe return of its residents to their homes in Syria.