More than 1.7 million Syrians returned to their homes thanks to the joint activities of Russia and Syria

More than 1.7 million Syrians returned to their homes thanks to the joint activities of Russia and Syria  Russia MOD 

“As a result of the joint activities of Russia and Syria, more than 1.72 million Syrian citizens have already returned to their homes, of which more than 1.29 million internally displaced persons and more than 429,000 refugees from the territories of foreign States,” said the Head of the National Centre for State Defence Control Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, speaking at the round table within Moscow Conference on International Security.

The main flow of people returning to the country goes through the borders with Jordan and Lebanon. Nasib checkpoint is the most active, through which more than 129,000 people have already returned from Jordan since the beginning of the initiative for the repatriation of refugees.

Joint Coordination Committee on the issue of the repatriation of refugees to Syria has been operating since July last year.

Peaceful settlement of the conflict and rendering of comprehensive assistance are the main vectors of work in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Representatives of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation carried out a humanitarian action in the settlement of Stamu, Latakia province. People received 500 food sets.

In total, since the Russian Centre for Reconciliation started settlement process, it carried out 2109 humanitarian actions. The total weight of humanitarian cargo delivered amounts to 3,175.1 tons.

Refugees are making their way back home. Nine check points including one at the Damascus International Airport and the Baniyas maritime one are operating with support of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides. The functioning of the humanitarian corridor and Jleb checkpoint for the exit of Syrian refugees from the Rukban camp has been established.

On May 2 1,821 refugees left the Rukban refugee camp through Jleb checkpoint. All Syrians who left the camp were provided with medical care, basic necessities and food. Since the beginning of functioning of the Jleb checkpoint, 11,006 people have left the Rukban refugee camp.

As for May 2, 2019, 308,109 people had returned to their places of permanent residence from the territory of foreign states to the territory of Syria, including the internally displaced persons.

As part of the implementation of the decree of the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Syrian authorities continue to work on amnesty for those who evade from military service, including those among refugees and former members of illegal armed groups. As for May 2, 2019, in total 57,851 were granted amnesty.

Despite the ceasefire regime being established throughout the country, there are still cases of ceasefire regime violation by illegal armed formations in the Idlib de-escalation zone. Over the past day insurgents have attacked Aqch Baer in Latakia province.

The Russian Centre for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides urges leaders of illegal armed formations operating in the Idlib de-escalation zone to cease hostilities and move towards peaceful settlement of the situation in areas they occupy.

Mikhail Mizintsev also recalled that during the period of the war with international terrorism, Syria’s economy suffered enormous damage. From 40% to 70% of the infrastructure of large cities and settlements is almost destroyed.

According to him, more than 6 million Syrians were forced to leave the country because of war.

Russian and Syrian joint coordination headquarters make another report on the plight of the Syrians in the Rukban and al-Hol camp

JOINT EMERGENCY STATEMENT

by joint coordination headquarters of the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic “On the plight of the Rukban and al-Hol camp refugees”

April 30, 2019

It is the 1825th day as the Syrian citizens have been living under inhuman conditions in the Rukban camp for internally displaced persons.

Despite the unprecedented measures taken by Russia and Syria to save the residents of the camp, the evacuation of Syrian citizens is extremely slow.

Non-constructive actions of the US side, expressed in the reluctance to close the camp, cause new victims and increase the sufferings of the Syrians, forcibly held in the Al-Tanf zone, occupied by the US.

Instead of taking real steps to solve that problem, we hear more often from our American partners and international humanitarian bodies about the need to deliver humanitarian convoys to the camp.

In disguise of the care for Syrians, the Americans seek to use the Rukban camp as the human shield for the further illegal occupation of the Al-Tanf zone and in order to go on providing the armed groups under their control with the help of humanitarian convoys.

Russian and Syrian sides repeatedly stated that they are not against delivering humanitarian aid if it goes to the ordinary Syrian citizens. Nevertheless, the experience of the first and the second humanitarian convoys carried out under the UN auspices showed that the significant part of the assistance sent to the Rukban camp refugees was seized by militants.

The only way to provide the transparency of the humanitarian aid distribution is to give the direct access to the camp for the UN humanitarian agencies, Syrian government representatives and Syrian Arab Red Crescent, who will be able to determine further steps at the site in order to rescue the camp inhabitants.

At the same time, when the international organizations plan the humanitarian actions in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic they should take into account that the part of the humanitarian aid should be also delivered to the Rukban ex-prisoners, who are actually staying in Homs province.  More than 7,434 Syrian citizens, who managed to leave the camp, need that help badly. Russian military police troops and Syrian government are ready to give all the necessary support

We draw the attention of the whole world community and first of all of the UN, that the basic standards of the international law are trampled in the US-controlled areas.  Because of inaction and connivance of the American party, the same catastrophic situation as in the Rukban camp prevails in the Al-Hol camp.

More than 73,000 people with 90% of them women and children, find themselves under extreme conditions. There is a serious shortage of water, food, medical staff, medications and equipment in Al-Hol. As a consequence, the infectious deceases are actively spreading in the camp.

In Al-Hol the same as in Rukban the camp administration uses the same drastic police methods against the inhabitants. It is forbidden for the camp population to contact their relatives beyond the camp territory; the identity documents are confiscated; the movements are strictly limited.

We urge the American party to observe the human rights and insist on the immediate US actions to provide the free exit for all Al-Hole inhabitants as well as to encourage the increase of humanitarian aid delivery to the camp. In order to do that it is necessary to build a pontoon passage over the Euphrates River in Abu Kamal area in the shortest time.

According to the UN data, 27 million dollars are needed to be allocated for emergency aid to the Al-Hole inhabitants and 10 million dollars more to maintain its functioning until the end of the year.

Amid donators’ loud statements, expressing their readiness to allocate large funds to render the humanitarian aid to Syrians, any delay in the solution of the Al-Hole camp problem is unacceptable.

We appeal to the international community and first of all to the UN humanitarian agencies to draw their attention to the critical humanitarian situation in Rukban and Al-Hol camps, located in the US-controlled territories of the Syrian Arab Republic. It is necessary to influence the American leadership to ensure earliest possible withdrawal of its troops, which support the illegal armed groups and impede the establishment of peaceful life in Syria.