A general view of the transport convoy
Jordan said Sunday it allowed passage to more than 400 Syrian civil defense agency members, White Helmets, reducing an earlier figure by almost half.
On Saturday, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said it had allowed the UN to organize the passage of some 800 White Helmets members for humanitarian reasons.
In a Sunday statement, foreign ministry spokesman Mohamed al-Kayed said Britain, Germany and Canada –- which made a legally binding pledge to resettle the Syrians within a specified period of time "because of a risk to their lives" --, settled on the figure of 422 White Helmets members rather than 800.
The statement added that transfer of the civil defense volunteers to the three Western countries would be done within three months.
Al-Kayed did not disclose location of White Helmets members, but said they would remain in a closed area.
He added the Syrians were only allowed passage via Jordan due to humanitarian reasons.
- US welcomes
The U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert welcomed the evacuation of the civil defense agency members.
“We are glad that these brave volunteers, who have saved thousands of lives, are now out of harm’s way,” she said in a written statement.
Nauert went on to say: “Members of the group, more than half of which are children, were allowed entry into Jordan on a transit basis, until UNHCR completes procedures for their resettlement in third countries.”
Earlier on Sunday, White Helmets chief Riyad Salih said that the evacuation of the White Helmets members and their families were blocked by the Bashar al-Assad regime, whose forces control Syria’s border with Amman.
Last month, Syrian regime forces launched a wide-ranging military operation -- supported by Russian air power – to recapture the opposition-held Daraa province, triggering a major displacement crisis, with an estimated 350,000 civilians fleeing the province towards areas near the Jordanian border.
Syrian regime forces have denied exit to members of the White Helmets civil defense agency and their families to opposition-held Idlib province amid an evacuation deal from Quneitra province, according to the group’s chief.Riyad Salih said on Sunday that the evacuation of the White Helmets members and their families were blocked by the Bashar al-Assad regime, whose forces control Syria’s borderline with Amman.“We communicated with the UN and for their safety, evacuation was carried out to Jordan through [Israel-occupied] the Golan Heights,” he told Anadolu Agency.Jordan allows passage to 800 Syrian civil defense workers on humanitarian groundsOn Saturday, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said it has allowed the UN to organize the passage of some 800 White Helmets members for humanitarian reasons.In a statement, ministry spokesman Mohamed al-Kayed said Amman responded to a request to allow the 800 Syrians into the country temporarily to be resettled later in the West.Three Western countries - Britain, Germany and Canada – made a legally binding pledge to resettle the 800 Syrians within a specified period of time "because of a risk to their lives", al-Kayed said, without elaborating.Last month, Syrian regime forces launched a wide-ranging military operation -- supported by Russian air power – to recapture the opposition-held Daraa province, triggering a major displacement crisis, with an estimated 350,000 civilians fleeing the province towards areas near the Jordanian border.
Assad regime blocks White Helmets evacuation
Jordan said on Sunday that it had allowed the UN to arrange the entry and passage of 800 Syrian civil defense workers whose lives were in danger after a government offensive that regained rebel-held parts of southern Syria, a foreign ministry spokesman said.The kingdom agreed to a request by Britain, Germany and Canada to give the White Helmet workers temporary asylum in the kingdom before settlement in the West on humanitarian grounds, Mohammad al Kayed the spokesman said.
Jordan allows passage to 800 Syrian civil defense workers on humanitarian grounds