JHR-trained journalists expose horrific circumstances in Syria's "camp of death" and get Bashar al-Assad to respond by opening an humanitarian corridor for aid supplies

TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2018 /CNW/ - A child named Mohammed, an infant named Huda, and a senior named Fayroze: three Syrians who lost their lives in recent weeks simply because they live in a refugee camp that is besieged.

Last week, in response to these needless deaths, members of Syrian Journalists for Human Rights network wrote and published over 11 stories on the horrifying conditions at Al-Rukban camp, also known as the "camp of death," located in the Syrian desert, close to the borders of Jordan and Iraq.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Syrian journalists trained and supported by JHR organized a media campaign that published multiple reports outlining the tragic conditions in the camp that led to the death of several children. The reports were shared widely.

The morning after, the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad announced they would open up access to the camp and allow humanitarian aid to enter.

And a day afterwards, the UN office in Damascus announced that it would address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the camp.

Said JHR Executive Director Rachel Pulfer: "This shows it is possible, working with and through media, for even a regime like that of Bashar al Assad to react positively and act to save lives. What's needed now is for international media to focus their attention on al-Rukban camp and those in a position to help it, and thus ensure humanitarian supplies actually reach those most in need."

Syrian outlets, including the independent newspaper Sada Alasham, the magazine Ein Infographic, Geroun Network, and Nasaem Souria reported on numerous issues, ranging from infant health to the lack of medical professionals to sexual and reproductive health and rights to maternal mortality to education to the lack of clean water, among many others.

Through creating space for people in the camp to share their own stories, these journalists helped reveal that the Syrian people are not simply victims of conflict and neglect. They are informed individuals who are aware of their rights and needs and are not afraid to demand them.

Journalists for Human Rights co-organizes a network of outlets and independent reporters who are working to uncover human rights abuses in Syria. Together they are demanding accountability from officials in their country which has been caught up in a civil war since 2011, while also calling the international community's attention to the living conditions of internally displaced people in Syria.

Residents of Al-Rukban camp reached out to JHR's partners with messages of gratitude for sharing their stories with the rest of the country and the world at large. They also expressed concerns, however, that without sustained media attention on the camp, the government may fail to follow through on its promises to allow aid into the camp.

JHR recognizes the value in supporting journalism that seeks to create such transformative change in the lives of those whose stories often remain neglected. JHR is working with its partners within the network of journalists and reporters, as well as civil society organizations, to continue highlighting stories from the camp and helping save the lives of thousands of people stuck in the camp. Read more here: https://globalnews.ca/news/4586553/jhr-syria-camp-of-death/

Our thanks to CNW for sponsoring this announcement

Notes for Editors
Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) trains journalists worldwide to cover human rights issues ethically and objectively. For 16 years, Canada-based JHR has worked with 15,565 journalists around the world. Currently JHR operates sector-wide programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, South Sudan, Jordan, and with Canada's Indigenous communities. For more information, please visit www.jhr.ca

SOURCE Journalists for Human Rights (JHR)