Any return or relocation of the Syrian refugees must be voluntary and meet safety standards, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told Sputnik Tuesday, commenting on the opening of two humanitarian corridors from Rukban camp on the border with Jordan
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2019) Any return or relocation of the Syrian refugees must be voluntary and meet safety standards, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told Sputnik Tuesday, commenting on the opening of two humanitarian corridors from Rukban camp on the border with Jordan.
Earlier on Tuesday, Damascus with the help of Moscow opened two humanitarian corridors for internally displaced persons to leave the Rukban refugee camp for their permanent places of residence.
"The UN is not involved in the opening of humanitarian corridors from Rukban ... The United Nations maintains its call that any return or relocation movement of the Rukban population upholds key principles, with any return or relocation being voluntary, safe, dignified and well-informed and in line with minimum protection standards," David Swanson, OCHA spokesman on Syria crisis, said.
The corridors are located on the border of the 55-kilometer (slightly over 34 miles) zone controlled by the United States. Syrian refugees can exit the area through the checkpoints in the settlements of Jleb and Jabal al-Ghurab.
Security at the checkpoints working round the clock is ensured by the Syrian law enforcement agencies and the military police of the Russian Armed Forces.
The corridors have facilities for reception, medical examination, recreation and paperwork, as well as for providing food, clothing, material support and sending refugees to places of their residence.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said refugees from the Rukban camp should have long been evacuated, but the United States and the militants under its control forbade them to leave. Later in the day, the US Department of State spokesman Robert Palladino replied that the United States had not prevented people who live in the camp from leaving the facility and called on Russia to help facilitate deliveries of humanitarian aid.
