MOSCOW, February 28. /TASS/. The humanitarian situation in Al-Tanf and Raqqa, controlled by the US-led coalition, is the most difficult is Syria, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday. According to him, international organizations need to take urgent measures to resolve the situation.

"Civilians in Syria have been facing the toughest predicaments in areas controlled by the US-led coalition and armed opposition groups answering to the coalition," Konashenkov said. "Following ambitious statements about the liberation of these areas from the ISIL [the former name of the Islamic State terror group outlawed in Russia - TASS], they have turned into black holes as the situation there is clear neither for the Syrian government nor international observers. Moreover, these very areas have become rest zones for militants where bandits who have replaced black ISIL flags with opposition banners, receive medical treatment and rearm to continue terrorizing civilians," he added.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, the situation remains tense in the Rukban refugee camp, located near the US military base in Al-Tanf. "Up to 60,000 refugees are forcefully detained by militant groups controlling the camp… commanders of illegal armed groups only allow those whose family members remain hostages in the camp to leave the Al-Tanf area," the general noted.

Konashenkov pointed to the high level of morbidity and mortality in the camp since 20 volunteer medics from Jordan are allowed to take severely ill people to the nearest hospital only "in exceptional cases."

"Humanitarian convoys and the evacuation of the sick to medical facilities in Damascus could improve the situation, as it is being done in Eastern Ghouta," the Russian general added.

Raqqa situation

"The situation of civilians in Raqqa, as we have many times stressed, can be described as a humanitarian catastrophe, which is being ignored by ‘liberators’ from the US-led coalition," Konashenkov said. He pointed out that air strikes had destroyed more than 80% of buildings in the city, while residential areas had lost water and electricity supplies.