Syria confirms closure of civil war-era desert camp, displaced return home

The Rukban displacement camp, which opened and was chopped disconnected successful the tallness of the civilian warfare successful 2014, housed thousands of people.

The notorious Rukban displacement campy successful the Syrian desert, a acheronian emblem of the country’s civilian war, has closed, with the past remaining families returning to their hometowns.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa said connected Saturday connected X that with the dismantlement of the camp, “a tragic and sorrowful section of displacement stories created by the bygone regime’s warfare instrumentality comes to a close”.

“Rukban was not conscionable a camp, it was the triangle of decease that bore witnesser to the cruelty of siege and starvation, wherever the authorities near radical to look their achy destiny successful the barren desert,” helium added.

The camp, established successful 2014 astatine the tallness of the country’s ruinous civilian war, was built successful a deconfliction portion controlled by the United States-led conjugation forces warring against ISIL (ISIS).

The campy was utilized to location those fleeing ISIL fighters and bombardment by the then-government of President Bashar al-Assad, seeking refuge and hoping to yet transverse the borderline into Jordan.

But al-Assad’s authorities seldom allowed assistance to participate the campy arsenic neighbouring countries besides blocked entree to the area, rendering Rukban isolated for years nether a punishing siege.

About 8,000 radical lived successful the camp, staying successful mud-brick houses with nutrient and basal goods smuggled successful astatine precocious prices.

But aft al-Assad was toppled pursuing a lightning violative led by the existent president of Syria’s interim government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, successful December, families began leaving the campy and returning home.

Al-Sharaa has promised to unite Syria pursuing the autumn of al-Assad and rebuild the state astatine location and rejoin the planetary fold abroad.

Last month, al-Sharaa met with satellite leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, who announced that sanctions connected Syria would beryllium removed successful a determination that would let the state a “chance astatine greatness”. The European Union followed suit and besides lifted sanctions. Both moves person fixed Syria a captious lifeline to economical betterment aft astir 14 years of warfare and economical devastation.

‘A castle successful my eyes’

Yasmine al-Salah, who returned to her location aft 9 years of displacement successful the Rukban campy and marked the Muslim solemnisation of Eid al-Adha, told The Associated Press quality bureau connected Friday that her feelings are a “happiness that cannot beryllium described”.

“Even though our location is destroyed, and we person nary money, and we are hungry, and we person debts, and my hubby is aged and can’t work, and I person kids – still, it’s a castle successful my eyes,” al-Salah said.

Her location successful the municipality of al-Qaryatan successful the eastbound portion of the Homs state was damaged during the war.

Syrian Minister for Emergency Situations and Disasters Raed al-Saleh said connected X said the camp’s closure marks “the extremity of 1 of the harshest humanitarian tragedies faced by our displaced people”.

“We anticipation this measurement marks the opening of a way that ends the suffering of the remaining camps and returns their residents to their homes with dignity and safety,” helium added.

According to the International Organization for Migration, 1.87 cardinal Syrians person returned to their homes since al-Assad’s fall.