Page 8 - AT

A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 5 noveMber 2018

Aid workers reach remote Syrian camp for 1st time

By ALBERT AJI modities, protection con-
SARAH EL DEEB cerns and increasing vio-
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — lence.
U.N. officials and volunteers At least four people have
from the Syrian Arab Red died in the past month due
Crescent offered children to malnutrition and lack of
vaccinations and distrib- medical care as regional
uted desperately needed powers traded blame.
aid on Sunday, the first Also on Sunday, the U.S.-led
such assistance since Jan- coalition conducted joint
uary to reach thousands patrols with the Kurdish-led
in a remote camp for the Syrian Democratic Forces
displaced on Syria's border along the borders with Tur-
with Jordan. key, the second this week
Residents said that teams following increased tension
from international organi- after Turkish artillery shelled
zations entered their deso- Kurdish positions in north-
late camp for the first time east Syria.
since it was set up over "Sunday's joint patrol with
three years ago, where the SDF is the second of the
nearly 50,000 have been week, after the first one was
stranded in limbo. conducted by US forces on
Fadwa Baroud of the Unit- Friday," Col. Sean Ryan, the
ed Nations Office of the This photo released by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, shows a convoy of vehicles of the Syrian coalition spokesman, told
Resident Coordinator said Arab Red Crescent driving in the Syrian desert heading to Rukban camp between the Jordan and The Associated Press in an
it was the first time a U.N. Syria borders, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018. email. "The US forces' as-
aid convoy had accessed Associated Press surance patrols enables us
Rukban camp from inside to maintain safety and se-
Syria. She said aid workers for the aid convoys. The attack, and other vio- 55-square kilometer (20 sq. curity in the region, but are
were in the Rukban area. Resident Abdul-Fatah al- lence, fueled accusations mile) "deconfliction zone" not carried out on a routine
Before January, aid only Khaled, who also runs a that militants were hiding set up by U.S. forces sta- basis."
reached the camp from camp school, said aid among camp residents tioned in the nearby Tanf Senior Kurdish official Ilham
Jordan and aid workers workers, including U.N. staff, and raised concern that military base. Ahmed said the patrols
were barred from access- were on the ground at the deteriorating humanitarian The U.S.-led coalition has were conducted along
ing the camp because of camp for the first time. conditions amounted to denied such allegations the borders with Turkey in
security concerns. "Before (January) the aid collective punishment. and blamed Russia and the Ras al-Ayn, Tal Abiyad and
The Arab Syrian Red Cres- used to be distributed from The last aid delivery from Syrian government instead. Manbij.
cent and the United Na- the Jordanian side over the Jordan was in January, "We continue to stand In recent tension, Turkey
tions posted pictures of sand berms" or by rebel leaving the camp's resi- ready to enable future de- said its military shelled Kurd-
staff unloading trucks of groups who resided in the dents dependent on goods livery of U.N. humanitarian ish positions across the
life-saving assistance and camp, al-Khaled said. largely smuggled from gov- relief to the people of Ruk- border in Syria, east of the
administering vaccines to Al-Khaled said distribution ernment-held areas. The ban until they are able to Euphrates River, at least
children. of food and winter clothes situation sharply deterio- return home as we pursue twice last week, in an area
Residents posed with the began late Saturday. rated after the Syrian gov- our mission of an enduring where U.S.-led coalition are
aid trucks driving through People started gathering ernment blocked supply defeat of (IS)," said Maj. based. Turkey considers the
the desolate camp, where in Rukban three years ago, routes last month following Gen. (UK) Christopher Ghi- Kurdish militia that forms
10,000 children are expect- fleeing IS militants and air- a botched reconciliation ka, a deputy commander the backbone of SDF a ter-
ed to be vaccinated. strikes by the U.S.-led coali- deal with rebel groups in for the U.S.-led Coalition. ror threat and an extension
The U.S.-led coalition fight- tion, Russia and Syria. Jor- the area. The U.N. said aid deliver- of Kurdish rebels waging an
ing against Islamic State dan sealed its border and Russia, a close ally of the ies would continue for up insurgency within Turkey.
militants said its local al- stopped regular aid deliv- Syrian government, has to four days, describing U.S. support for the Kurdish-
lies, a Syrian armed group eries in 2016 after a cross- blamed the U.S. for the de- the condition in the camp led forces has resulted in
known as Maghawir al- border IS attack that killed terioration of the situation as "critical" with reported increased tension between
Thawra, provided security seven Jordanian soldiers. in Rukban, which is within a shortages of basic com- Washington and Ankara.q