Russia, Syria call on US to disband Rukban refugee camp

The heads of Russian and Syrian Joint Coordination Committees on Repatriation of Syrian Refugees called on Friday on the United States to disband the Rukban camp, home to more than 40,000 displaced Syrians near the Jordanian border.

"[We call on the United States] to solve the issue of the Rukban camp once and forever via its dissolution and giving long-awaited freedom to its residents," the heads of the committees said in a statement.

The area that became a refugee camp for Syrian residents back in 2014 is now the US-controlled zone. Moscow and Damascus are blaming Washington for its refusal to release residents of the camp, turning them in fact into hostages.

In January, the World Health Organization described people residing in the camp as "trapped," adding that they live "in deplorable conditions." Limited water supply, bitterly cold weather and poorly functioning health care facilities contribute to the rise of diseases, which include influenza, measles, tuberculosis and chronic respiratory diseases, according to the organization.

(SPUTNIK)