Damascus, Moscow Urge International Community to Force US to Withdraw Its Occupation Troops from Syria

MOSCOW- Syria and Russia have called upon the international community to exert pressure on the US to force it to pull out its occupation troops from Syria as soon as possible.

In a joint statement, the Syrian and Russian Coordination Committees on the Return of Displaced Syrians called upon the “International community, the UN agencies and the international humanitarian organizations to adopt a principled stance to influence the US in order to solve the issue of withdrawing its occupational forces from Syria the soonest possible,” according to SANA.

The two committees reaffirmed that the “US forces which are occupying lands in Syria had entered Syria in an illegitimate way and their presence hinder the exerted efforts for restoring normal life to the country and they constitute an obstacle which hinder stability in the southeast of Syria and which causes catastrophic situations for the residents of al-Rukban Camp who are forcibly held at the camp by terrorist groups controlled by the US.”

 The statement noted that doctors from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) affirmed after examining patients at the camp that they have chronic diseases and some of them suffer from tuberculosis and dermatological diseases, meanwhile many of them suffer from malnutrition, and the children have vitamin deficiencies and they suffer from intestinal and viral infections.

The statement indicated that Syria and Russia are taking unprecedented measures to save the residents of al-Rukban Camp as 13,337  persons have been evacuated from the camp since March 23rd.

The statement asserted that the Syrian state is taking all possible measures to guarantee a dignified life for those who exit the camp as temporary housing shelters equipped with the basic food and medical needs have been provided for them as more than 85 percent of them have returned to their hometowns.

The two committees called upon the US side to prevent terrorists whom it backs from blackmailing those who are willing to get out of the camp and to ensure the arrival of representatives of Syria and Russia to al-Rukban Camp.

Meanwhile, the statement indicated that the situations of 73 thousands civilians at al-Houl Camp in Hasaka which is controlled by the US are deteriorating as the number of its dwellers increased for more than seven folds over the past four months, calling for providing support for the efforts exerted by the Syrian state for the return of the displaced to their hometowns.

The two committees called on the US and the European Union to lift the unilateral economic sanctions imposed on Syria which impede obtaining medical equipment and materials and the maintenance equipment, in addition to the construction materials.