US-Led Coalition 'Never Denies' Refugees in Syria's Rukban Freedom of Movement - Spokesman
The US-led coalition in Syria denies allegations that it prevents the free movement of refugees and humanitarian convoys in the Syrian refugee camp of Rukban, spokesman for the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) Col. Sean Ryan told Sputnik on Wednesday
"The United States has not impeded any humanitarian progress or operations," Ryan said. "The United States or the coalition has never denied refugees in the Rukban area the freedom of movement."
On Tuesday, Russia's Defense Ministry said the United States was preventing Syrian refugees from leaving the camp and refusing to guarantee the safe passage of humanitarian convoys inside a 34-mile area around its At-Tanf military base in southeastern Syria.
Ryan insisted that the US-led coalition's mission in Syria remains the "enduring defeat" of the Islamic State terror group (banned in Russia).
On Friday, Russia and Syria sent convoys to the Rukban camp, which houses some 40,000 displaced people, so that the refugees could return to their homes.
The Rukban camp is located in the southern part of Syria, not far from the border with Jordan. The area became a refugee camp for Syrian residents back in 2014, but the territory was later isolated after US forces set up a military base in At-Tanf in 2016 and restricted movement there surrounding its outpost.
In January, the World Health Organization (WHO) 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, the WHO said.