Some 18,000 people – including more than 3,000 children – remain trapped in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk on the outskirts of the Syrian capital of Damascus amid fighting between various armed groups including the so-called Islamic State.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has called for an end to the fighting – which broke out in the camp on 1st April – and demanded access for humanitarian aid.
Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, said earlier this week that the situation in the camp had become “more desperate than ever” and said civilians trapped in the camp were facing “unbearable suffering”.
The besieged residents of Yarmouk have been reliant on UNRWA’s irregular distributions of food and other assistance for more than a year.
In a statement issued earlier this week, UNRWA said that potable water was now unavailable inside the camp and that the “meagre health facilities” that existed have been overrun by conflict.
“The situation is extremely dire and threatens to deteriorate even further. UNRWA is ready to resume its assistance to the civilian population at any time but for that a cessation of hostilities is required.”
“Never has the hour been more desperate in the Palestine refugee camp of Yarmouk, in Damascus,” the organisation said. “As the fighting intensifies, UNRWA strongly appeals to all armed actors to cease hostilities that place civilians in acute danger and to withdraw immediately from civilian populated areas.”
