ICRC Delegation Head Says NGO Will Consider Sending Aid To Syria's Rukban Refugee Camp

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is reviewing its option to provide aid to Syria's Rukban refugee camp for people who have lived in the very harsh conditions of the camp for months, Magne Barth, head of the regional delegation of the ICRC in Russia, Belarus and Moldova told Sputnik on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th March, 2019) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is reviewing its option to provide aid to Syria's Rukban refugee camp for people who have lived in the very harsh conditions of the camp for months, Magne Barth, head of the regional delegation of the ICRC in Russia, Belarus and Moldova told Sputnik on Thursday.

"We are following the situation in Rukban closely. There are other actors already involved and working there, however, we regularly review options to determine if there might be a role for ICRC in future," Barth said.

Barth added that the situation in Rukban remained difficult for its inhabitants.

"People have lived for months in very harsh conditions and efforts by all - state and non-state actors - are needed to ensure access for those people to basic services, dignity and durable solutions," Barth said.

The UN World Health Organization has noted that refugees in the Rukban camp face, among other issues, the lack of access to proper health care and the spread of skin diseases and hepatitis. The joint Russia-Syria coordination center on refugee repatriation on Tuesday also noted water shortages in the camp.

The camp, which is situated in the US-controlled zone surrounding its military base in At Tanf, is believed to host around 40,000 refugees.