A two-day-old baby boy died on August 24, 2023, from malnutrition and a lack of essential post-natal care in al-Rukban IDPs camp on the Syrian-Jordanian border in eastern rural Homs governorate. The already weak baby suddenly developed a fever which led to convulsions. The camp’s medical personnel were unable to identify the cause amid an extremely dire healthcare situation there, with no medical equipment or medicine available to treat many of the cases. Most residents suffering illness or injury amid the dire conditions there also suffer from a lack of healthcare, as the camp only has one rudimentary clinic whose personnel lack the necessary training or experience to properly examine patients and follow up on cases. The deceased infant’s family comes from al-Qaryatein city in rural Homs governorate. While the area where the camp is located is is under the control of armed opposition factions and international coalition forces, the camp is besieged by regime forces.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has, on numerous occasions, shed light on the crippling siege that has been imposed on the camp by Syrian regime forces for years, with regime forces preventing anyone from entering or leaving the camp, as well as on the inhumane conditions for its residents.
SNHR urges international relief groups to act urgently to meet the basic needs of IDPs in camps, especially those in al-Rukban camp.
