(Zaman Al Wasl)- “When we found no word to describe the tragic situation because the victim is a baby, tears disappear and heart feel the pain”, in these words, an activist described the situation of the al-Rakban camp when he reported the story of 10-month-old baby Fadia al-khalid who died due to untreated hepatitis due to lack of medication and medical care in the camp.
Al-Rakban camp is situated at the Syrian-Jordanian borders adjacent to Badiyat al-Sham. It almost lack of all services and people live in very difficult humanitarian situation resulted recently in death of many people because of diseases and malnutrition, besides lack of medication and medical care.
Journalist Omar al-Banih, spokesman of the council of Palmyra and al-Badiya reported to Zaman al-Wasl that the al-Rakban camp was a crossing point for Syrians refugees who wanted to cross to Jordan, then it became a camp following controlling the city of Palmyra by the Islamic State and then the Syrian regime, all that cause huge displacement of people in the area .
The activist mentioned that residents in the camp reached to almost 70 thousand, majority of them are from Palmyra and al-Badiya and some from Deir Ez-zzor and Raqqa, live in too hard living conditions as aid and relief services are almost absent, which led to many cases of death most of them children.
Al-Banih mentioned that the council of tribes has founded a civil administration of the camp aiming to improve the living conditions, besides being officially able to communicate with international organisation and other effective bodies.
The activist added that the administration had met with UNICEF at the Jordanian borders to explain the real situation of the camp, including discussing the condition of 15 children who need to transfer outside the country for treatment, otherwise they could die without treatment.
Moreover, the council of Tribes has launched a campaign in cooperation with Alwan radio named: “Save al-Rakban”. Journalist Dima Shalar, responsible for the radio told Zaman al-Wasl that the campaign aims to highlight the issue of the camp, not for complaining like other campaigns, it aims to gather as many journalist as possible, either Syrians and other nationalities to put pressure via media bodies they work in.
Moreover, according to Shalar: “the campaign aims to pressurise international organisations interested in humans rights and protecting children to end the crises that started to threaten hundreds of death due to disease and malnutrition”.
The journalist added that they aim to push the Opposition Interim Government to communicate with the Jordanian and other international organisations to help in letting severely ill children enter Jordan to receive treatment. Besides securing sort of services like providing medical stations equipped with medical staff, medicine and equipments, and letting relief agencies inside the camp and improve housing to meet the minimum humanitarian requirements. Moreover, the journalist mentioned that campaign called for the German and French embassies in Jordan to interfere to protect children of risk of death.
Safia al-Majali, the Goodwill Ambassador, reported in a television interview that a field hospital has been sent to the camp, but al-Banih confirmed that nothing had arrived.
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