Syrian refugees are seen at the Jlaighem crossing after they left the Rukban camp, in the eastern countryside of Homs Province, Syria, on May 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)
MOSCOW, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The situation in the Syrian Rukban and al-Hol camps for internally displaced persons (IDP) on the U.S.-controlled territories remains critical, the Russian and Syrian Joint Coordination Headquarters said in a statement on Wednesday.
Despite the unprecedented measures taken by Russia and Syria for rescuing the Rukban residents, only 13,337 people were able to leave the camp since March 23, the statement said.
Another 30,000 Syrians remain in the camp under inhuman and worsening conditions, as they simply have no money which U.S.-controlled militants demand for the permit to leave the camp, it said.
The situation in al-Hol IDP camp is even worse. Its population has increased sevenfold over the last four months to over 73,000 people, who were forced to live in terrifyingly unsanitary conditions, according to the statement.
Illegal U.S. military presence in the so-called "security zone" continues to be a major factor of instability in southern Syria, where Syrian citizens are actually held hostage by the U.S.-controlled gangs, the joint headquarters said.
The statement urged international humanitarian organizations to support the activities of the Syrian authorities aimed at returning refugees to their homeland.