Russia warned on Thursday about the situation in the Rukban camp on the border between Syria and Jordan, saying “armed groups” were looting aid.
A Russian military official said the only way to save the 40,000 refugees living there is by evacuating the camp and sending them to other areas.
The Russian Defense Ministry called on the international community to support evacuating the camp and launched a fierce attack against the United States, accusing it of turning a blind eye to “armed groups” that terrorize refugees in the area.
It said the UN had recently sent two humanitarian aid convoys to the camp, backed by Russian military police, but it accused the "armed groups" of looting this aid and intimidating the refugees.
Moscow has called on the United Nations to stop sending humanitarian convoys to the camp.
Head of Russian center for the reconciliation of warring parties in Syria Maj. Gen. Viktor Kupchishin requested UN assistance in withdrawing refugees from the camp.
“Due to the US inability to prevent the illegal armed groups’ arbitrariness against refugees and the impossibility by governmental and non-governmental agencies to provide humanitarian assistance on a systematic basis to inhabitants of the Rukban camp, evacuation remains the only option to save more than 40,000 people from the threat of hunger and epidemics,” he said.
This warning constituted the most powerful message of possible military action if Washington does not respond to repeated warnings.
Russian military circles had previously said that the Syrian regime’s patience with the situation in the area would not last long.
“We count on the support of the international community and the United Nations in the implementation of our initiative to remove the camp and evacuate its people to end the suffering of Syrian citizens,” said a joint statement by Syria and Russia via the Defense Ministry.
“The camp’s evacuation will give an extra impetus for Syrian refugees living in the Kingdom to return home and this is certainly economically beneficial for Jordan,” the statement added.
“We call on the Jordanian leadership to join the process and provide every possible assistance for rescuing people at the Rukban camp as soon as possible,” according to the statement.
The Jordan has reopened the Nassib crossing on the Syrian border, allowing more than 100,000 Syrians to return to their homeland. Throughout the war, Jordan has hosted nearly one million Syrians, providing them with all necessary living conditions.
