Jordan Not Responsible For Rukban Camp Problem, Works With Russia, US On Issue - Minister

The situation with the Rukban refugee camp is not Jordan's problem but that of Syrians in Syria, but Amman continues to work with Moscow and Washington to help Damascus resolve it, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said at Brussels III conference of Syrian donors on Thursday

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th March, 2019) The situation with the Rukban refugee camp is not Jordan's problem but that of Syrians in Syria, but Amman continues to work with Moscow and Washington to help Damascus resolve it, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said at Brussels III conference of Syrian donors on Thursday.

"Jordan, the United States and Russia have been working together on finding a mechanism acceptable to all that would allow the voluntary return of the internally displaced persons [IDPs] to their villages and towns ... Jordan is not responsible for this problem, even though Jordan will do everything it can to work with our partners, the United States and Russia, to make sure that we find a lasting solution to that problem," Safadi said.

Safadi also highlighted that the Rukban issue should be resolved by Syria.

"Rukban is the problem of IDPs, Syrian people on Syrian territory, therefore the solution should be from within Syria.

In the past, when the conditions on the ground were not conducive for the support to go through Syria, we shouldered our responsibility in Jordan and we allowed supplies to go in. Now the conditions on the ground are conducive for humanitarian supplies to go through Syria, and we have seen two shipments going through Syria, and that should be the temporary answer," Safadi said.

The foreign minister added that the dismantling of the Rukban camp could only be done through a mechanism that would ensure voluntary safe returns of refugees to their home.

The Rukban camp is part of the US-controlled zone around its At-Tanf base in Syria. The World Health Organization has said that people living in Rukban were trapped there, noting deplorable conditions in the camp.

The Brussels III conference, officially called "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region," is taking place in the Belgian capital on March 12-14.