Russia, Syria to open 2 corridors for refugees ‘stranded’ in US-controlled area

Moscow and Damascus will establish two humanitarian corridors in an effort to rescue refugees “stranded” without medical assistance and supplies at Rukban tent camp in the US-controlled zone in Syria.

The checkpoints for “voluntary, unimpeded and safe passage” will start operating at Jleb and Jabal al-Ghurab on February 19, Russian and Syrian military said in a joint statement on Saturday. The two corridors are intended to help refugees leave the Rukban camp and move to the territory administered by the Syrian government, where they can access assistance.

The Rukban camp, housing around 40,000 displaced people, mostly women and children, is located in the southeastern part of the country, near the Jordanian border. The area is controlled by the US.

The World Health Organization recently described the refugees there as "trapped" and "stranded," and said they were living "in deplorable conditions" without medical care, generators or fuel to provide warmth during cold weather.

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