At least eight children died in the Rukban refugee camp located in the US controlled area in Syria last month, the UN Refugee Agency's (UNHCR) spokesperson, Andrej Mahecic, said in a statement
GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2019) At least eight children died in the Rukban refugee camp located in the US controlled area in Syria last month, the UN Refugee Agency's (UNHCR) spokesperson, Andrej Mahecic, said in a statement."The majority of the civilian population at Rukban are women and children, living in makeshift and scattered shelter, without privacy nor protection from the harsh weather conditions. Children are walking around barefoot through puddles and mud, in cold and continuous rain. The winter months have exacerbated an already dire situation and at least eight young children have died in the last month. To protect families and provide some relief, UNHCR and partners distributed thermal blankets, sleeping bags, plastic sheeting, winter clothing and solar lamps," Mahecic said.
According to the agency, many women are afraid of leaving their shelters because of the threat to face sexual abuses.
"Early marriages for girls are commonplace. Some women have been subjected to serial marriages, and some told us they had turned to survival sex as a last resort," Mahecic said.
He pointed out the need to find a durable solution to the problem of the Rukban camp so that its inhabitants could have chance for a better life.
"As part of the larger humanitarian effort in Syria, UNHCR adds its voice to the calls of the wider UN to all parties to facilitate delivery of aid to meet immediate critical needs. Sustained, predictable and safe access is essential to deliver life-saving supplies, monitor aid distributions and carry out needs assessments, as required by International Humanitarian Law," Mahecic added.
Over 100 trucks took part in the humanitarian aid delivery to Rukban in early February. However, the Russian and Syrian Joint Coordination Committees on repatriation of Syrian refugees said earlier on Saturday that the US-controlled militants could have gained most goods from the humanitarian convoy.
