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Syrian Refugees in Border Camp Face Humanitarian Crisis

As conditions deteriorate inside the Rukban Syrian refugee camp, close to the border with Jordan, thousands of people appear to be fleeing to government-controlled areas to avoid brutal desert heat and starvation.
Food supplies are critically low, and drinking water is scarce. The last United Nations food aid was reportedly delivered in February.
Syrian government TV showed a convoy of green government buses and dozens of agricultural vehicles heading toward the Jlaighem checkpoint in the city of Homs. Russian media claim over 17,000 Syrians have fled the camp for government-held territory. VOA could not independently confirm the report.
Rukban is sandwiched between Jordan, which has refused to allow the refugees to enter the country, and Syrian government-held territory that many have fled for political reasons. Jordan doesn't want refugees due to overcrowding at the camps it runs and fear that a percentage of the camp's residents are affiliated with terrorist groups. Jordan closed its border to Syrian refugees in 2014.
Syrian government media claim that the U.S., which runs the nearby al-Tanf camp alongside the Syrian border — close to both Iraq and Jordan — has been "holding residents of the camp hostage." U.S.-trained Syrian militia fighters control parts of the border, ostensibly to prevent pro-Iranian forces from gaining a foothold in the area.
No-fly zone
Hilal Khashan, who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut, told VOA that "the situation of refugees in Rukban is much like that of those in Lebanon." He said "many sympathize with rebel groups, and some of the men are likely to face a gruesome ordeal if they return to the government side."
Joshua Landis, who heads the Department of International and Area Studies at the University of Oklahoma, told VOA that the "Rukban camp has been a problem for years, with 50,000 people stuck in the middle of the desert."
He said the Syrian government "originally refused to provide food and other supplies to the refugees there because it fell within an American no-fly zone and housed families of rebel fighters who were being trained and paid for by the U.S. to fight the Syrian government."
Landis went on to say that the Syrian government's attitude toward Rukban was, "If you're going to pay terrorists to kill us, you can feed their families." He added that the U.S., for its part, "wanted no part of feeding the refugees ... because Washington understood it would be on the hook forever for food, medical care and schooling."
"Rukban," he added, "symbolizes everything that can go wrong with no-fly zones."
'Going to bed hungry'
The Syrian government news agency SANA reported that many of those returning to government-held territory were "women, children and old people." Young men who have decided to return to government-controlled areas from other regions face conscription and are periodically arrested.
A middle-aged man wearing a turban claimed the situation inside the camp was "so bad that it is impossible to describe." He said that the "bakery has only enough flour left to operate two hours a day and that food and bread supplies are rapidly being exhausted."
A young woman with a child also claimed that "people are drinking dirty water."
Another man with leathery skin claimed in an interview with Syrian TV that his children were "going to bed hungry two or three days a week."
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the U.S.-run camp at al-Tanf is refusing to send food aid to hungry residents inside the camp and that some residents were pleading on social media for the U.S. to help.
'Demilitarized zone'
The Rukban camp, which is 55 kilometers from al-Tanf, was designated a "demilitarized zone" in a joint U.S.-Russian agreement last year. Russian media quoted Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, who heads Moscow's National Defense Control Center, as saying that "the Syrian government is ensuring safe and dignified resettlement of civilians."
Mizintsev also claims that "2 million Syrians have returned home," and that many of them have come from Jordan and Lebanon. Turkey began forcibly repatriating Syrian refugees in recent days, as well.
Some media reports claim that close to 11 million Syrians were forced to leave their homes for other parts of the country and abroad since the outset of the country's more than eight-year-old civil war. Syria had a pre-war population of around 23 million people.
Interviews with residents of the Rukban camp in both Arab and Syrian government media indicate that they come from a wide swath of the country, including Raqqa, Deir el-Zour, Palmyra and Homs.
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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