![\"Rukban](\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rukban-refugee-camp.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe United States is responsible for the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Rukban refugee camp in Syria, as it has illegally occupied this territory, Yury Tarasov, the representative of the Russian Defense Ministry in taskforces on ceasefire and humanitarian issues in Geneva, said on Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n “The whole responsibility for\u00a0the outrageous situation in\u00a0Rukban rests with\u00a0the United States, as\u00a0it occupies the territory illegally and it uses the humanitarian problems of\u00a0the refugee camp to\u00a0legitimize its military presence in\u00a0the south of\u00a0Syria. We believe that the elimination of\u00a0a 55-kilometer [34 mile] zone around\u00a0At-Tanf [where a US military base is located] will result in\u00a0the closure of\u00a0the Rukban camp,” Tarasov said at\u00a0a conference of\u00a0the Russian and Syrian centers for\u00a0refugees return.<\/span><\/p>\n He specified that Russian representatives in\u00a0the taskforces on\u00a0ceasefire and humanitarian issues were ready to\u00a0cooperate with\u00a0international organizations on\u00a0settling the Rukban camp humanitarian crisis and on\u00a0evacuating all the refugees willing to\u00a0leave it.<\/span><\/p>\n “As of\u00a0today, one of\u00a0the most urgent problems is the situation in\u00a0the Rukban refugee camp, which is in\u00a0an extremely difficult humanitarian situation. I want to\u00a0note that the total number of\u00a0temporarily displaced people in\u00a0it is about\u00a050,000 people, of\u00a0which about\u00a06,000 are militants of\u00a0the Maghawir Al-Thawra group controlled by\u00a0the United States,” Tarasov said.<\/span><\/p>\n A similar stance has been voiced by\u00a0Mikhail Mizintsev, the head of\u00a0the Russian National Defense Control Center, who stated that the situation in\u00a0the Syrian refugee camp Rukban reminds of\u00a0World War II concentration camps, but\u00a0the global community keeps silent about\u00a0the catastrophe.<\/span><\/p>\n “The situation in\u00a0which the residents of\u00a0the camp have found themselves in\u00a0reminds me very much of\u00a0World War II concentration camps that seemed to\u00a0have long become history. How have this become possible in\u00a0the modern world?\u2026 Why does the global community, so much concerned about\u00a0human rights, stubbornly keep silent about\u00a0the humanitarian catastrophe of\u00a0the Rukban camp residents, while they are in\u00a0fact hostages?” Mizintsev said at\u00a0a meeting of\u00a0Russian and Syrian joint coordination committees on\u00a0repatriation of\u00a0refugees.<\/span><\/p>\n He went on\u00a0to say that UN official institutions, obliged to\u00a0provide assistance to\u00a0refugees, were not actively engaged in\u00a0settling the humanitarian catastrophe of\u00a0the Syrian refugees.<\/span><\/p>\n “Why are not media representatives allowed to\u00a0communicate with\u00a0refugees living in\u00a0Rukban? There is an explanation to\u00a0it. Someone has something to\u00a0conceal there. Who is responsible for\u00a0this barbarity? The answer is on\u00a0the surface,” Mizintsev added.<\/span><\/p>\n At the same time, Russian Health Ministry spokesman Sergey Grabchak reported that diseases and absence of\u00a0medical assistance in\u00a0the camp led to\u00a0the deaths of\u00a0more than\u00a0100 people.<\/span><\/p>\n According to\u00a0the Health Ministry, the disastrous sanitary and epidemiological situation in\u00a0the camp, an outbreak of\u00a0infectious diseases was likely, while refugees almost did not receive medical assistance.<\/span><\/p>\n “All these circumstances lead to\u00a0a high mortality rate. Over the past\u00a0month alone, more than\u00a0100 people died in\u00a0Rukban. I confirm the difficult, disastrous situation in\u00a0Rukban,” Grabchak said.<\/span><\/p>\n