Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 9 July 2018

Thousands who fled recent fighting in Syria return home

By BASSEM MROUE political settlement to the areas close to the Jorda-
FARES AKRAM Syrian crisis. nian border back to towns
Associated Press Syrian opposition activ- and villages that recently
BEIRUT (AP) — Most Syrians ists reported intense shell- signed Russian-brokered
displaced by recent fight- ing and airstrikes on the reconciliation agreements
ing stranded at the border rebel-held village of Um al- with the Syrian govern-
with Jordan in the country’s Mayadeen, few kilometers ment. It added that more
south have returned to their (miles) north of the Naseeb Syrians are refusing to go
homes, a U.N. official and a border crossing. Hours later, back home out of fears of
group that closely monitors state news agency SANA detention or conscription
the Syrian war said Sunday. said troops captured Um into the army.
The return to areas now al-Mayadeen after a battle CARE said that “waves of
controlled by the govern- with opposition fighters. people have moved to
ment came two days after Although the main rebel western Daraa” and Qu-
Syrian troops regained con- Jordanian troops patrol at the Jordanian side of Naseeb border groups in the eastern parts neitra, as the government
trol of the Naseeb border crossing into Syria one day after Syrian army recovered southern of Daraa province have troops seized control of ar-
crossing with Jordan, along territories of Daraa province from insurgents. accepted to hand over eas in the southeast of the
with a long stretch of the Associated Press their weapons as part of country.
border between the two them heading to the border a key crossing point into the Russian-mediated deal, Many families who sought
countries. On Saturday Syr- with Jordan that refused to Jordan, adding that as “far some have vowed to con- protection from bombard-
ian troops hoisted national allow refugees to cross. The as we understand they are tinue fighting, mostly in ments and shifting front
flags at the border crossing fighting in the border area almost exclusively men.” western parts of Daraa and lines continue to live out in
point three years after los- stopped on Friday under a But the situation “remains the nearby Quneitra region the open, CARE said. They
ing it to rebels. Russian-mediated surren- very difficult and it’s of on the front with the Israeli- “are in desperate need
Syria’s government offen- der deal. a huge concern to us,” occupied Golan Heights. of food, shelter and clean
sive to retake the province Anders Pedersen, the top Pedersen told reporters, International relief agency water, which is scarce and
of Daraa from insurgents, U.N. humanitarian coordi- repeating calls for a ces- CARE said told The Associ- prohibitively expensive
which began on June nator in Jordan, told report- sation of hostilities to allow ated Press on Sunday that due to the high demand in
19, has displaced some ers Sunday that just 150 to humanitarian operations thousands of displaced densely populated areas,”
330,000 people, many of 200 Syrians remained near and eventually reaching a Syrians have moved from it added.q