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Over 50,000 people isolated as US closes area around its base in Syria — Defense Ministry

The refugee camp is deprived of the possibility to have enough food and professional medical assistance, the ministry said

MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. The United States’ taskforce in Syria has blocked a 55-kilometer area around the US base at at-Tanf, with more than 50,000 people staying inside it, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Despite the earlier consultations, the US side has given international organizations no access to the Rukban refugee camp to deliver relief aid, the ministry said.

"Having closed a 55-kilometer zone around the US base at at-Tanf, the US force has created a territory where, according to various estimates, more than 50,000 people are staying in isolation. It is an unprecedented situation of long-lasting hindrance to humanitarian assistance to those in need. The refugee camp is deprived of the possibility to have enough food and professional medical assistance, to ensure classes to children," the ministry said.

The Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria once again asked the US side to exclude the Rukban refugee camp and the road leading to it from the zone controlled by the US taskforce based at at-Tanf and organize emergency delivery of relief aid to the camp, with Syrian government troops taking care of security issues.

According to the Russian reconciliation center, agreements on joining the ceasefire were signed with two settlements in the province of Aleppo. Russian officers jointly with the Aleppo city administration organized another children’s sports festival titled Sport as a Path to Peace. After the event, the kids received school kits.

The Russian center calls on the conflicting parties to impose a peace and quiet order on November 28 and 29 in the Eastern Ghouta de-escalation zone to bring down tensions.

According to the center, as many as 11 Syrians returned to their homes in the past two days.