As the world comes to terms with the inevitability of Bashar Al Assad being part of the country's future, the lives of millions who opposed his brutal regime hang in the balance. In few places is that truer than the desert camp of Rukban, near the Jordanian border, where 60,000 innocent civilians are at the mercy of rebels and regime forces. Thanks to a months-long blockade, they are existing in dire circumstances, with the regime preventing deliveries of humanitarian aid. Their lives speak to the horrors of Syria's eight-year-long war and an indication that the worst is far from over, despite Mr Al Assad's claims that the conflict's end is nigh. The one reprieve protecting the camp was a nearby US military base at Al Tanf. But now, with US President Donald Trump's withdrawal of American troops from Syria, that shield has gone and the residents of Rukban, under threat from the Syrian regime, could again face packing up what little they possess and moving to an even more precarious fate.
US-aligned rebel groups are reportedly considering transferring Rukban’s desperate residents to their enclaves in northern Syria, which would involve crossing government-held areas, exposing them to potential air and ground assault by the regime and its Russian backers. And although a de-escalation zone exists around the northern rebel enclave of Idlib, it is not free from potential regime bombardment. Indeed, regime forces have shown scant regard in the past for the protection such zones should provide. The Russian defence ministry recently described Rukban as a “black hole generating waves of Islamist insurgency”, with worrying implications for its residents.
As the threat of regime and Russian shelling looms, the world has turned its back on the defenceless people of Rukban. Jordan has denied them entry, insisting the camp be dismantled and accusing terror cells within it of attacking its territory. On Monday, Rukban's management appealed for international support. Given the scant protection the international community has offered to desperate Syrians thus far, their pleas might fall on deaf ears.
The logistics involved in moving 60,000 people safely across the country beg yet more questions. But for Rukban's residents it is simply another stop on a gruesome road as they are shunted from pillar to post. Inside the camp, children face starvation and illness. Without a single aid shipment in 12 months, the sheer lack of supplies risks turning the vast camp into a cemetery. Meanwhile, state violence has conspired with nature to imperil them further: Rukban has been hit with torrential rain and freezing temperatures. As powers greater than themselves toy with their fate, the camp's residents are burning rubbish for warmth and inhaling the toxic smoke. These are not US human shields or pawns to be traded, but innocent human beings, trapped between a squalid camp and the threat of regime assault. Their fate – symbolic of the entire conflict – should shame the world.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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Teams in the EHL
White Bears, Al Ain Theebs, Dubai Mighty Camels, Abu Dhabi Storms, Abu Dhabi Scorpions and Vipers
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
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Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5