Another 11 people under the supervision of the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria left the Rukban refugee camp, the representative of the Center Vitaly Efremenko told reporters.
"The Center continues to record the exit of refugees from the territory not controlled by the SAR government from the al-Rukban camp. Today, two families of 11 people were released, who will be placed in the camp for the duration of the quarantine and then be able to return to normal life," Efremenko said, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
The refugees left the camp in the back of a truck, with their belongings. His driver, Miziyat Ruim, said that this is how they usually leave the camp, but there is no guarantee that they will be able to get out.
"I live here myself, but I bring refugees from the Rukban camp. It's hard work, because you never know for sure whether you will be released this time or not. There is no law there. Life is very hard there. No water, no food. There is no medical help, " Ruim said.
According to one of the refugees who left the camp, Abdurakhman Khattyb, it is difficult to survive in Rukban. Food can be purchased for money, but it is not easy to find a job. He himself sometimes had to sit for months without money.
"Only few selected in Rukban have permanent jobs. Someone keeps stores - they are allowed if they share money with the militants. I didn't have a full-time job, and very often my family and I didn't have anything to eat. Sometimes I was able to get some money – something to dig up, for example, or to move," said Hattab.
Those who get out of Rukban are placed in a small tent camp, where there is everything needed. The water is brought by trucks from the Red Crescent.
"I can't even say exactly how much time I spent in the camp. Maybe two, maybe two and a half years. I'm a shepherd, tending sheep. If it wasn't for this job, I'd starve to death. Because the militants who run the camp don't give people food. No one wants to live there anymore, " said Mohammad Hammad, another runaway from Rukban.
Rukban is located in a 55-kilometer zone around the US military base in the area of el-Tanfa (on the border of Syria with Jordan), which is controlled by the US military. The Russian military, representatives of the Russian and Syrian Foreign Ministries have repeatedly stated that the situation in the camp is close to a humanitarian disaster.
Refugees who manage to get out of the camp regularly talk about how difficult it is to get food and water there, as well as about the fact that militants are overrunning Rukban. Escape from the camp is often possible only by paying them.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Anas Alkharboutli / dpa / picture-alliance / TASS
Based on materials from RIA Novosti