Russia blames US for blocking aid to Rukban from Syria

AMMAN — Russia on Sunday lauded Jordan’s approval to allow a one-day aid delivery to Rukban refugee camp inside Syria, blaming the US for blocking such access from inside Syria.

In a comment by the Information and Press Department of the Russian ministry of foreign affairs on the situation at the Rukban Syrian refugee camp near the Syrian-Jordanian border, cited in a statement by the Russian embassy in Amman, Moscow said it welcomes “the delivery of relief supplies to those stranded in Rukban. 

“At the same time, we insist that the territorial integrity and independence of Syria be respected and international humanitarian law be observed during the delivery of relief supplies.”

The statement said that US troops are in control of the 55-sq.km area around Al Tanf,  where Rukban is located. 

The area is “de facto occupied by US forces [and thus] no Syrian army units or representatives of the legitimate authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic are allowed into the... zone”, the statement said.

“The training of militants for illegal Syrian armed formations continues at US strongholds. Meanwhile, for UN humanitarian convoys trying to reach Rukban from Syrian territory, the ‘border’ remains tightly sealed.”

“According to various sources, an estimated 60,000 people in the Rukban camp are in an extremely dire situation, short of food and medicines,” the statement added.

“We regard as unacceptable attempts by Washington to justify the use of military force against the sovereignty and territorial inviolability of the Syrian Arab Republic. Assurances by the United States that its military [forces] are allegedly staying on Syrian soil for the purpose of fighting terrorists are unconvincing and open to criticism. We demand that all restrictions on access for convoys of food and medicines be lifted and that humanitarian operations in the area be more transparent.”

Jordan has allowed the entry of humanitarian aid to the Rukban camp for a single time to the displaced Syrians after the UN presented a plan in which it pledged to deliver future assistance to the camp from Syria, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mohammad Kayed said recently.

The international organisation resorted to Jordan as Damascus had failed to respond to a request to grant access to the area. 

Jordan declared the northern and northeastern border areas closed military zones in June 2016, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack that targeted a military post serving refugees near the border, killing seven security forces and injuring 13 others.