15 feb 2014
A spokesman for the UN's Palestine refugee agency told Ma'an on Saturday that UNRWA has been unable to distribute aid in Yarmouk for the past week, leading to a potentially "life-threatening" situation for those trapped in the besieged camp.
Chris Gunness told Ma'an that "the fate particularly of women and children is of growing concern" as the Damascus-area camp suffers from widespread malnutrition and a lack of medical supplies after more than six months of siege by regime forces.
Gunness said that although UNRWA had managed to distribute 6,500 food parcels since being given access to the camp on Jan. 18, the food parcels were only meant to last ten days. Aid distribution was suspended following clashes on the night of Feb. 7.
He stressed that the people in Yarmouk are "desperately dependent on UNRWA for food and basic medicines," stressing that the UN "must have secure, substantial and sustained humanitarian access to the besieged civilians of Yarmouk."
"We have been encouraged by the cooperation among the parties which allowed us to resume aid to civilians in Yarmouk," in mid-January, he added, saying that he trusted that UNRWA "will soon be allowed to continue our distributions."
After rebels seized control of Yarmouk in December 2012, the camp became embroiled in the armed fighting taking place across Syria and came under heavy regime assault.
Regime forces eventually encircled the camp and in July imposed a siege on the camp, leading to a rapid deterioration of living conditions.
Thousands have fled the camp, while the remaining residents -- who are estimated to number around 18,000 -- have faced extremely severe conditions in recent months, with reports that dozens have starved to death.
In recent weeks, however, international organizations have managed to negotiate temporary ceasefires to allow for the distribution of food and aid in the camp, as well as the evacuation of residents.
The Syrian conflict, which began as peaceful protests in March 2011 but developed into a civil war, has killed more than 130,000 people and prompted millions to flee their homes.
Chris Gunness told Ma'an that "the fate particularly of women and children is of growing concern" as the Damascus-area camp suffers from widespread malnutrition and a lack of medical supplies after more than six months of siege by regime forces.
Gunness said that although UNRWA had managed to distribute 6,500 food parcels since being given access to the camp on Jan. 18, the food parcels were only meant to last ten days. Aid distribution was suspended following clashes on the night of Feb. 7.
He stressed that the people in Yarmouk are "desperately dependent on UNRWA for food and basic medicines," stressing that the UN "must have secure, substantial and sustained humanitarian access to the besieged civilians of Yarmouk."
"We have been encouraged by the cooperation among the parties which allowed us to resume aid to civilians in Yarmouk," in mid-January, he added, saying that he trusted that UNRWA "will soon be allowed to continue our distributions."
After rebels seized control of Yarmouk in December 2012, the camp became embroiled in the armed fighting taking place across Syria and came under heavy regime assault.
Regime forces eventually encircled the camp and in July imposed a siege on the camp, leading to a rapid deterioration of living conditions.
Thousands have fled the camp, while the remaining residents -- who are estimated to number around 18,000 -- have faced extremely severe conditions in recent months, with reports that dozens have starved to death.
In recent weeks, however, international organizations have managed to negotiate temporary ceasefires to allow for the distribution of food and aid in the camp, as well as the evacuation of residents.
The Syrian conflict, which began as peaceful protests in March 2011 but developed into a civil war, has killed more than 130,000 people and prompted millions to flee their homes.
Tens of thousands of Palestinian worshipers prayed for rainfall following the Friday prayers at the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. In his Friday khutba (sermon), Sheikh Yousuf Abu Sanina, the imam of the Aqsa Mosque, warned the Palestinian authority (PA) and its negotiators of relinquishing the right of return, which he described as non-negotiable and inalienable.
Sheikh Sanina said that the PA and the Palestinian liberation organization (PLO) has no right to waive the return of the Palestinian refugees to their homes because the right of return belongs to the whole Palestinian people.
"There is a lot of indicators pointing to something serious lurking on the horizon about the refugees, Jerusalem and other rights and constants, which are being exposed to plots," the imam of the Aqsa Mosque said.
Sheikh Sanina said that the PA and the Palestinian liberation organization (PLO) has no right to waive the return of the Palestinian refugees to their homes because the right of return belongs to the whole Palestinian people.
"There is a lot of indicators pointing to something serious lurking on the horizon about the refugees, Jerusalem and other rights and constants, which are being exposed to plots," the imam of the Aqsa Mosque said.
13 feb 2014
Rubble of a bombed building in Daraa refugee camp
Palestinian refugee Talal Awad, 45, has been shot and killed by sniper fire while collecting grass in Al-Yarmouk refugee camp, the action group for Palestinian refugees in Syria said.
In a press release, the action group added that Daraa refugee camp has been exposed to heavy shelling that led to a number of injuries among Palestinian refugees. Concurrently, violent clashes broke out in the vicinity of the camp between the Syrian regime forces and the opposition's rebels.
Syrian warplanes also overflew A'idin refugee camp, while strong explosions were heard due to to the bombing of nearby areas.
Meanwhile, a state of cautious calm prevailed in Khan al-Shih refugee camp after many explosive barrels fell on neighboring areas. Khan al-Shih still suffers from lack of medicines and food, the action group reported.
In the same context, Action Group confirmed that a positive atmosphere prevailed in Yarmouk refugee camp following an agreement reached to neutralize the camp as a prelude for food supplies' access.
The sources added that a number of humanitarian cases have been brought out to receive treatment outside the camp, while makeshift schools resumed studies after long suspension.
Palestinian refugee Talal Awad, 45, has been shot and killed by sniper fire while collecting grass in Al-Yarmouk refugee camp, the action group for Palestinian refugees in Syria said.
In a press release, the action group added that Daraa refugee camp has been exposed to heavy shelling that led to a number of injuries among Palestinian refugees. Concurrently, violent clashes broke out in the vicinity of the camp between the Syrian regime forces and the opposition's rebels.
Syrian warplanes also overflew A'idin refugee camp, while strong explosions were heard due to to the bombing of nearby areas.
Meanwhile, a state of cautious calm prevailed in Khan al-Shih refugee camp after many explosive barrels fell on neighboring areas. Khan al-Shih still suffers from lack of medicines and food, the action group reported.
In the same context, Action Group confirmed that a positive atmosphere prevailed in Yarmouk refugee camp following an agreement reached to neutralize the camp as a prelude for food supplies' access.
The sources added that a number of humanitarian cases have been brought out to receive treatment outside the camp, while makeshift schools resumed studies after long suspension.
12 feb 2014
The UN's Palestine refugee agency UNRWA said that they were "closely monitoring" reports that evacuations from Yarmouk had resumed, following their suspension last week after clashes erupted.
"UNRWA remains in constant contact with the authorities and is assured that the current suspension will be lifted soon, pending negotiations between government forces and groups inside Yarmouk," UNRWA Spokesman Chris Gunness said in a statement to Ma'an on Wednesday.
Clashes on Friday night forced UNRWA to suspend aid distribution in the besieged Damascus refugee camp, but Gunness said that the organization shares "the hopes of the civilians there that an end to the fighting will bring peace and herald a time of safe, substantial and continuous humanitarian access."
"UNRWA stands ready to immediately resume and expand the Yarmouk distribution as soon as clearance is granted," Gunness added.
Gunness said that until distribution was "temporarily suspended" on Friday, UNRWA had distributed 6,528 food parcels, 10,000 polio vaccines and "a range of other medical supplies to civilians inside the camp" since being allowed access to the camp on Jan. 18.
After rebels seized control of Yarmouk in December 2012, the camp became embroiled in the armed fighting taking place across Syria and came under heavy regime assault.
Regime forces eventually encircled the camp and in July imposed a siege on the camp, leading to a rapid deterioration of living conditions.
Thousands have fled the camp, while the remaining residents -- who are estimated to number around 18,000 -- have faced extremely severe conditions in recent months, with reports that dozens have starved to death.
In recent weeks, however, international organizations have managed to negotiate temporary ceasefires to allow for the distribution of food and aid in the camp, as well as the evacuation of residents.
The Syrian conflict, which began as peaceful protests in March 2011 but developed into a civil war, has killed more than 130,000 people and prompted millions to flee their homes.
"UNRWA remains in constant contact with the authorities and is assured that the current suspension will be lifted soon, pending negotiations between government forces and groups inside Yarmouk," UNRWA Spokesman Chris Gunness said in a statement to Ma'an on Wednesday.
Clashes on Friday night forced UNRWA to suspend aid distribution in the besieged Damascus refugee camp, but Gunness said that the organization shares "the hopes of the civilians there that an end to the fighting will bring peace and herald a time of safe, substantial and continuous humanitarian access."
"UNRWA stands ready to immediately resume and expand the Yarmouk distribution as soon as clearance is granted," Gunness added.
Gunness said that until distribution was "temporarily suspended" on Friday, UNRWA had distributed 6,528 food parcels, 10,000 polio vaccines and "a range of other medical supplies to civilians inside the camp" since being allowed access to the camp on Jan. 18.
After rebels seized control of Yarmouk in December 2012, the camp became embroiled in the armed fighting taking place across Syria and came under heavy regime assault.
Regime forces eventually encircled the camp and in July imposed a siege on the camp, leading to a rapid deterioration of living conditions.
Thousands have fled the camp, while the remaining residents -- who are estimated to number around 18,000 -- have faced extremely severe conditions in recent months, with reports that dozens have starved to death.
In recent weeks, however, international organizations have managed to negotiate temporary ceasefires to allow for the distribution of food and aid in the camp, as well as the evacuation of residents.
The Syrian conflict, which began as peaceful protests in March 2011 but developed into a civil war, has killed more than 130,000 people and prompted millions to flee their homes.
11 feb 2014
A purported deal to end the siege on Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria will require the al-Nusra Front group to leave the camp and for Palestinian groups to withdrawal to a new region, an official said Monday.
Ayman Abu Hasham, director of the Palestinian Refugees Support Network in Syria, said Palestinian armed groups would be required to withdraw to the al-Reja area of Yarmouk.
Non-Palestinian groups like the al-Nusra Front will leave the camp entirely, he said.
Abu Hasham told Ma'an that 150 civilians, 75 from the camp and 75 Palestinians from outside it, will take charge of services in cooperation with other factions as well as the Palestine refugee agency UNRWA.
He expressed optimism that the agreement would be more successful than prior deals which accomplished little.
Hundreds of patients, injured people, children and pregnant women have been evacuated in recent days from Yarmouk to hospitals in nearby neighborhoods.
The movement’s foreign relations officer in Syria Muhammad Abu al-Qasim told Ma’an on Monday that “every Palestinian refugee who wanted to leave the camp was evacuated.”
About 100 people are being evacuated every day. Elderly men and women and patients suffering chronic diseases are evacuated by ambulances. However, there hasn’t been any group migration, he confirmed.
Abu al-Qasim added that 800-1,000 food parcels weighing 30 kilograms each were being distributed in the camp every day. The humanitarian aid, he said, is funded by the PLO, President Mahmoud Abbas’ office, Japan and Kuwait.
“Nobody will be out of food as humanitarian aid will continue to flow into the camp thanks to coordination between the Palestinian and Syrian Red Crescent societies, Syrian officials and the PLO,” he pledged.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that hundreds of patients, children and elderly people were evacuated from the camp after cooperation with the Syrian Red Crescent and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA.
The Red Crescent highlighted that dozens of volunteers joined its teams who worked in the camp. Serious cases were evacuated to al-Mazza Hospital in the Damascus outskirts which is affiliated to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Ayman Abu Hasham, director of the Palestinian Refugees Support Network in Syria, said Palestinian armed groups would be required to withdraw to the al-Reja area of Yarmouk.
Non-Palestinian groups like the al-Nusra Front will leave the camp entirely, he said.
Abu Hasham told Ma'an that 150 civilians, 75 from the camp and 75 Palestinians from outside it, will take charge of services in cooperation with other factions as well as the Palestine refugee agency UNRWA.
He expressed optimism that the agreement would be more successful than prior deals which accomplished little.
Hundreds of patients, injured people, children and pregnant women have been evacuated in recent days from Yarmouk to hospitals in nearby neighborhoods.
The movement’s foreign relations officer in Syria Muhammad Abu al-Qasim told Ma’an on Monday that “every Palestinian refugee who wanted to leave the camp was evacuated.”
About 100 people are being evacuated every day. Elderly men and women and patients suffering chronic diseases are evacuated by ambulances. However, there hasn’t been any group migration, he confirmed.
Abu al-Qasim added that 800-1,000 food parcels weighing 30 kilograms each were being distributed in the camp every day. The humanitarian aid, he said, is funded by the PLO, President Mahmoud Abbas’ office, Japan and Kuwait.
“Nobody will be out of food as humanitarian aid will continue to flow into the camp thanks to coordination between the Palestinian and Syrian Red Crescent societies, Syrian officials and the PLO,” he pledged.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that hundreds of patients, children and elderly people were evacuated from the camp after cooperation with the Syrian Red Crescent and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA.
The Red Crescent highlighted that dozens of volunteers joined its teams who worked in the camp. Serious cases were evacuated to al-Mazza Hospital in the Damascus outskirts which is affiliated to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
10 feb 2014
Four Palestinians were killed, two of them starved to death, on Sunday in Yarmouk refugee camp. The Working Group for Palestinians in Syria said in a statement,the death of Ahmed Jumaa and Khaled Abdulhaleem from Yarmouk refugee camp, as a result of dehydration and lack of medical care, raised the number of victims of hunger and blockade up to 105 people.
In al-Nayrab refugee camp, both Yamen Harb and Fadi Ebwiny were killed as a result of clashes took place in the central prison of Aleppo.
"In addition to clashes erupted between the Syrian Free Army (SFA) and Syrian army on the outskirts of the camp, Deraa refugee camp is still being bombed by the regime war jets for the third day in a row, "the group added.
At least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Syria conflict, and around 250,000 Palestinian refugees have been forced to leave their homes in Syria due to violence in the country.
Prior to the conflict, 600,000 Palestinian refugees lived in Syria.
Between 7-800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes inside Israel during the 1948 conflict that led to the creation of the State of Israel, and today their descendants number around five million, spread across the world.
In al-Nayrab refugee camp, both Yamen Harb and Fadi Ebwiny were killed as a result of clashes took place in the central prison of Aleppo.
"In addition to clashes erupted between the Syrian Free Army (SFA) and Syrian army on the outskirts of the camp, Deraa refugee camp is still being bombed by the regime war jets for the third day in a row, "the group added.
At least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Syria conflict, and around 250,000 Palestinian refugees have been forced to leave their homes in Syria due to violence in the country.
Prior to the conflict, 600,000 Palestinian refugees lived in Syria.
Between 7-800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes inside Israel during the 1948 conflict that led to the creation of the State of Israel, and today their descendants number around five million, spread across the world.
Member of Hamas' political bureau Ezzat Al-Resheq said that the agreement that took place on Sunday in Al-Yarmouk refugee camp was a step in the right direction aimed at neutralizing the camp and sparing it any further deterioration of its humanitarian situation. In a press statement to the Palestinian information center (PIC), Resheq called for executing the agreement fully in response to the humanitarian initiative of some Palestinian factions in order to completely end the blockade on the camp.
He affirmed that the agreement was the result of strenuous efforts made by the Hamas Movement in cooperation with other Palestinian factions and the concerned parties.
For his part, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the agreement includes three points, the first one calling for neutralizing the camp, especially since the Palestinians are no party to the conflict in Syria.
The second point, Hamdan added, is to get the armed men out of the camp and settle the issue of the militants from the camp financially, and the third point is to allow in humanitarian aid and restore the life in the camp to normal.
The Hamas official asserted that a civilian committee would enter the camp on Monday to make sure it is free from the militants, and simultaneously the relief efforts would continue more widely in the camp.
He noted that the most important thing now is to provide all the refugees with food and medical aid, especially after they had suffered from inhumane conditions for about eight months.
He affirmed that the agreement was the result of strenuous efforts made by the Hamas Movement in cooperation with other Palestinian factions and the concerned parties.
For his part, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the agreement includes three points, the first one calling for neutralizing the camp, especially since the Palestinians are no party to the conflict in Syria.
The second point, Hamdan added, is to get the armed men out of the camp and settle the issue of the militants from the camp financially, and the third point is to allow in humanitarian aid and restore the life in the camp to normal.
The Hamas official asserted that a civilian committee would enter the camp on Monday to make sure it is free from the militants, and simultaneously the relief efforts would continue more widely in the camp.
He noted that the most important thing now is to provide all the refugees with food and medical aid, especially after they had suffered from inhumane conditions for about eight months.
After a nine-week strike by UNRWA employees, the daily life is now back to normal in the West Bank refugee camps. The refugee camps restored their life again after the UNRWA and the trade union of the agency's employees reached an agreement on suspending the strike, which started on December 3, 2013, and engaging in negotiations over the UNRWA cadres' demands.
On Sunday morning, teachers and students flocked into the UNRWA schools which reopened its doors, after other vital institutions belonging to the agency started one day earlier to resume their humanitarian activities.
The UNRWA clinics and district offices started on Saturday to provide their services for the beneficiaries from the refugee camps.
Different patients reported their receipt of the medicines they used to take regularly from the agency's clinics before the strike.
A plan to compensate the patients affected by the strike was also initiated by the UNRWA.
On Sunday morning, teachers and students flocked into the UNRWA schools which reopened its doors, after other vital institutions belonging to the agency started one day earlier to resume their humanitarian activities.
The UNRWA clinics and district offices started on Saturday to provide their services for the beneficiaries from the refugee camps.
Different patients reported their receipt of the medicines they used to take regularly from the agency's clinics before the strike.
A plan to compensate the patients affected by the strike was also initiated by the UNRWA.
9 feb 2014
Leaders of Palestinian factions in al-Yarmouk refugee camp agreed with PFLP-GC representatives to neutralize the refugee camp from the current in-fighting in Syria. According to the facebook page “Yarmouk Camp News", the agreement provides the withdrawal of the al-Nusra front and non-Palestinian fighters from the refugee camp and the evacuation of their headquarters in addition to allowing a mine detection committee into the camp.
Syrian Army forces combined with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command militias continue to besiege Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp south of Damascus for 210 days, citing the existence of non-Palestinian militants inside.
Since the begining of Syria's unrest in the late 2011, more than 105 Palestinian refugees died due to scarcity of food and medical supplies while some 2000 were killed as a result of the armed clashes, according to a Syrian monitoring group.
Syrian Army forces combined with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command militias continue to besiege Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp south of Damascus for 210 days, citing the existence of non-Palestinian militants inside.
Since the begining of Syria's unrest in the late 2011, more than 105 Palestinian refugees died due to scarcity of food and medical supplies while some 2000 were killed as a result of the armed clashes, according to a Syrian monitoring group.
Crowds wait to be allowed across the frontline at Yarmouk to reach the area where the UN distributes aid.
Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees trapped in a Syrian camp by the war are enduring appalling conditions that ought to concern all of us. Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the UN relief effort, says humanitarian aid must be stepped up.
The lexicon of man's inhumanity to man has a new word – Yarmouk. The camp, on the edge of Damascus, was once the bustling, vibrant heart of the Palestine refugee community in Syria, where 160,000 Palestinians lived in harmony with Syrians of all stripes. Over the past six months, it has become synonymous with infant malnutrition, women dying in childbirth for lack of medical care and besieged communities reduced to eating animal feed – all this in the capital city of a UN member state in the 21st century. Yarmouk sums up the tragic, profound suffering of civilians in the Syria conflict. It should not have to.
This tragedy has a human face. Khaled, aged 14 months, is a war child. He was born as Syria's pitiless conflict engulfed Yarmouk: armed opposition groups entered the camp and government forces responded by encircling it. Trapped with his parents and four siblings, he has seen more suffering in his short life than most of us will experience in a lifetime.
Khaled embodies Syria's tragic conflict, but also the opportunities that we must grasp. He would probably be dead had it not been for Dr Ibrahim Mohammad of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), who treated him for a severe form of malnutrition known as kwashiorkor, caused by a prolonged lack of protein. He also had symptoms of rickets.
"When I first saw Khaled he looked like a five-month-old," says Mohammad. "He was about to die. Khaled had survived on water and almost no solid food for two months."
When asked about life in Yarmouk, Khaled's mother Noor, 29, becomes agitated. "Hell would be better," she says. "We boiled spices with water and drank it. We ate grass until all the grass was gone."
When Noor gave a birth to Khaled at home, she was able to breastfeed him, but with her poor diet her milk stopped after two months. Cow's milk smuggled into the camp was prohibitively expensive and no powdered milk was available. Khaled went without. He was lucky. Noor says her four-month-old niece starved to death.
Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees trapped in a Syrian camp by the war are enduring appalling conditions that ought to concern all of us. Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the UN relief effort, says humanitarian aid must be stepped up.
The lexicon of man's inhumanity to man has a new word – Yarmouk. The camp, on the edge of Damascus, was once the bustling, vibrant heart of the Palestine refugee community in Syria, where 160,000 Palestinians lived in harmony with Syrians of all stripes. Over the past six months, it has become synonymous with infant malnutrition, women dying in childbirth for lack of medical care and besieged communities reduced to eating animal feed – all this in the capital city of a UN member state in the 21st century. Yarmouk sums up the tragic, profound suffering of civilians in the Syria conflict. It should not have to.
This tragedy has a human face. Khaled, aged 14 months, is a war child. He was born as Syria's pitiless conflict engulfed Yarmouk: armed opposition groups entered the camp and government forces responded by encircling it. Trapped with his parents and four siblings, he has seen more suffering in his short life than most of us will experience in a lifetime.
Khaled embodies Syria's tragic conflict, but also the opportunities that we must grasp. He would probably be dead had it not been for Dr Ibrahim Mohammad of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), who treated him for a severe form of malnutrition known as kwashiorkor, caused by a prolonged lack of protein. He also had symptoms of rickets.
"When I first saw Khaled he looked like a five-month-old," says Mohammad. "He was about to die. Khaled had survived on water and almost no solid food for two months."
When asked about life in Yarmouk, Khaled's mother Noor, 29, becomes agitated. "Hell would be better," she says. "We boiled spices with water and drank it. We ate grass until all the grass was gone."
When Noor gave a birth to Khaled at home, she was able to breastfeed him, but with her poor diet her milk stopped after two months. Cow's milk smuggled into the camp was prohibitively expensive and no powdered milk was available. Khaled went without. He was lucky. Noor says her four-month-old niece starved to death.
Khaled, aged 14 months, is recovering well after being treated for a severe form of malnutrition known as kwashiorkor.
"Everyone assumed they would soon be dead because of hunger or shelling," she says. "Death was everywhere. One of my neighbours died in childbirth. The midwife was called away mid-birth, to assist another woman, and when she returned, my neighbour had bled to death."
There are many Khaleds and many more Noors in Yarmouk. UNRWA workers have encountered them every morning since 18 January, when the Syrian authorities allowed UNRWA to take in food. Each day, crowds of gaunt figures await the distribution team on Rama Street, at the northern edge of the camp. After their ID cards are checked, some of them go across no man's land, defined by opposing sniper positions, and join the long queues to the distribution area.
The wait is stressful and exhausting. At the end of each day, once darkness falls and the UN distribution team returns to its base in Damascus, hundreds of civilians, in a visible state of desperation, fatigue and anguish, return to their harsh existence inside Yarmouk, many of them with nothing. On our best day, 30 January, we delivered more than 1,000 food parcels, each containing enough supplies to feed a family for about two weeks. On more difficult days, we have managed as few as 26 or as many as 645. War is no respecter of need.
As with all humanitarian work in conflict, rewards are small, frustrations are manifold and danger is everywhere.
On 14 January, an UNRWA relief convoy of six trucks with food for 6,000 people, along with 10,000 doses of polio vaccine and other medical supplies, left our main warehouse in Damascus. We were required to use the southern entrance to Yarmouk. This meant the convoy had to drive 20km through an area of intense conflict, in which numerous armed opposition groups, including some of the most extreme jihadist organisations, have a strong and active presence.
Citing security concerns, the Syrian authorities did not permit UNRWA to use the northern entrance to Yarmouk, which is under government control, and which is generally regarded as more likely to be accessible with relatively less risk.
As the convoy approached Yarmouk from the south, it was joined by a government security escort, which enabled the vehicles to reach the last government-controlled checkpoint. The convoy was cleared to go beyond and the Syrian authorities provided a bulldozer to clear the road of debris, earth mounds and other obstructions. However, as this was happening, the bulldozer was struck by gunfire and forced to withdraw, though with no casualties. Thereafter, bursts of gunfire, including heavy machine-gun fire, erupted close to the UNRWA vehicles. One mortar exploded close to the convoy. Our team withdrew, mercifully without casualties.
We were undaunted. Our humanitarian mission continues. Following successful access to Yarmouk on 18 January, we have now delivered more than 6,000 basic food parcels and 10,000 polio vaccines. This is not enough. We need more. We need secure, substantial and sustained access. And we need this for all civilians in Syria. There are many Yarmouks.
Let me end by returning to Khaled. Four weeks later, and he has been transformed with nutrition and medication. His lifeless face now carries a smile, his swollen abdomen and limbs look healthy thanks to the work of Mohammad. Today he weighs as much as an eight-month-old. He grew exponentially with modest assistance and with continued medical care. Our health department is confident he will reach the size and weight of a normal, healthy baby.
Nature will take its course, we hope, and perhaps with a nurturing, stable environment, eventually Khaled will achieve his full human potential. That remains our goal for him and for all our beneficiaries in Yarmouk and beyond. We must see Khaled's rapid recovery and that of his mother Noor as symbols of hope, as symbols of our commitment to the people of Yarmouk and to all civilians in Syria.
Yarmouk has been a challenge to the humanity of all of us. UNRWA is rising to that challenge. We must all rise to that challenge. For while the people of Yarmouk and other civilians in Syria are deprived of their dignity, the dignity of all of us is diminished.
Perhaps ultimately the word Yarmouk can take on another meaning. Perhaps when the war is over, Yarmouk will come to be seen as an example of human compassion, where the pitilessness of war was overcome by the sheer force of human dignity.
For more information on UNRWA's work in Yarmouk, or to donate, contact [email protected]
TROUBLED HISTORY
■ Yarmouk was established in 1957 to accommodate an informal and largely tented area for Palestinians who had fled after Israel's foundation in 1948. It is a built-up urban area, once home to 112,000 people, with schools, hospitals, apartment blocks and shops.
■ Palestinians in Syria have passports and some have served in senior government positions. Factions operating there have included Fatah; the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command; and Hamas, whose external office under Khaled Meshaal was based in Damascus for a decade.
■ Hamas's refusal to support Bashar al-Assad's regime against the rebels in 2011 saw Meshaal and other members of the external Hamas leadership quit Syria in 2012 for Qatar, leading to a breach with Shia Iran – one of Assad's main backers - that had been supportive of the Sunni Hamas.
■ As the Syrian war intensified, Yarmouk struggled to remain neutral. There were clashes between those – some of them Sunni salafists –who supported the largely Sunni anti-government opposition and those who favoured staying out or who backed the regime dominated by Alawites, a Shia offshoot. Those supporting the opposition prevailed. As the population fled and the camp began to empty, the issue was settled as armed opposition groups moved in. The Syrian army then blockaded and bombarded Yarmouk. Peter Beaumont
"Everyone assumed they would soon be dead because of hunger or shelling," she says. "Death was everywhere. One of my neighbours died in childbirth. The midwife was called away mid-birth, to assist another woman, and when she returned, my neighbour had bled to death."
There are many Khaleds and many more Noors in Yarmouk. UNRWA workers have encountered them every morning since 18 January, when the Syrian authorities allowed UNRWA to take in food. Each day, crowds of gaunt figures await the distribution team on Rama Street, at the northern edge of the camp. After their ID cards are checked, some of them go across no man's land, defined by opposing sniper positions, and join the long queues to the distribution area.
The wait is stressful and exhausting. At the end of each day, once darkness falls and the UN distribution team returns to its base in Damascus, hundreds of civilians, in a visible state of desperation, fatigue and anguish, return to their harsh existence inside Yarmouk, many of them with nothing. On our best day, 30 January, we delivered more than 1,000 food parcels, each containing enough supplies to feed a family for about two weeks. On more difficult days, we have managed as few as 26 or as many as 645. War is no respecter of need.
As with all humanitarian work in conflict, rewards are small, frustrations are manifold and danger is everywhere.
On 14 January, an UNRWA relief convoy of six trucks with food for 6,000 people, along with 10,000 doses of polio vaccine and other medical supplies, left our main warehouse in Damascus. We were required to use the southern entrance to Yarmouk. This meant the convoy had to drive 20km through an area of intense conflict, in which numerous armed opposition groups, including some of the most extreme jihadist organisations, have a strong and active presence.
Citing security concerns, the Syrian authorities did not permit UNRWA to use the northern entrance to Yarmouk, which is under government control, and which is generally regarded as more likely to be accessible with relatively less risk.
As the convoy approached Yarmouk from the south, it was joined by a government security escort, which enabled the vehicles to reach the last government-controlled checkpoint. The convoy was cleared to go beyond and the Syrian authorities provided a bulldozer to clear the road of debris, earth mounds and other obstructions. However, as this was happening, the bulldozer was struck by gunfire and forced to withdraw, though with no casualties. Thereafter, bursts of gunfire, including heavy machine-gun fire, erupted close to the UNRWA vehicles. One mortar exploded close to the convoy. Our team withdrew, mercifully without casualties.
We were undaunted. Our humanitarian mission continues. Following successful access to Yarmouk on 18 January, we have now delivered more than 6,000 basic food parcels and 10,000 polio vaccines. This is not enough. We need more. We need secure, substantial and sustained access. And we need this for all civilians in Syria. There are many Yarmouks.
Let me end by returning to Khaled. Four weeks later, and he has been transformed with nutrition and medication. His lifeless face now carries a smile, his swollen abdomen and limbs look healthy thanks to the work of Mohammad. Today he weighs as much as an eight-month-old. He grew exponentially with modest assistance and with continued medical care. Our health department is confident he will reach the size and weight of a normal, healthy baby.
Nature will take its course, we hope, and perhaps with a nurturing, stable environment, eventually Khaled will achieve his full human potential. That remains our goal for him and for all our beneficiaries in Yarmouk and beyond. We must see Khaled's rapid recovery and that of his mother Noor as symbols of hope, as symbols of our commitment to the people of Yarmouk and to all civilians in Syria.
Yarmouk has been a challenge to the humanity of all of us. UNRWA is rising to that challenge. We must all rise to that challenge. For while the people of Yarmouk and other civilians in Syria are deprived of their dignity, the dignity of all of us is diminished.
Perhaps ultimately the word Yarmouk can take on another meaning. Perhaps when the war is over, Yarmouk will come to be seen as an example of human compassion, where the pitilessness of war was overcome by the sheer force of human dignity.
For more information on UNRWA's work in Yarmouk, or to donate, contact [email protected]
TROUBLED HISTORY
■ Yarmouk was established in 1957 to accommodate an informal and largely tented area for Palestinians who had fled after Israel's foundation in 1948. It is a built-up urban area, once home to 112,000 people, with schools, hospitals, apartment blocks and shops.
■ Palestinians in Syria have passports and some have served in senior government positions. Factions operating there have included Fatah; the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command; and Hamas, whose external office under Khaled Meshaal was based in Damascus for a decade.
■ Hamas's refusal to support Bashar al-Assad's regime against the rebels in 2011 saw Meshaal and other members of the external Hamas leadership quit Syria in 2012 for Qatar, leading to a breach with Shia Iran – one of Assad's main backers - that had been supportive of the Sunni Hamas.
■ As the Syrian war intensified, Yarmouk struggled to remain neutral. There were clashes between those – some of them Sunni salafists –who supported the largely Sunni anti-government opposition and those who favoured staying out or who backed the regime dominated by Alawites, a Shia offshoot. Those supporting the opposition prevailed. As the population fled and the camp began to empty, the issue was settled as armed opposition groups moved in. The Syrian army then blockaded and bombarded Yarmouk. Peter Beaumont
8 feb 2014
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Militant groups are reportedly flooding to a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon with plans for terrorist attacks.
According to a Lebanese security report, extremist militants from Chechnya, Egypt, Tunisia and Syria have been flocking to Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp since last month. They have reportedly joined the terrorist group, Abdullah Azzam Brigades. The document shows that the militants have been planning terrorist attacks to target diplomatic, military and security institutions. Lebanon has been embroiled in a string of deadly bomb attacks in recent months. Many view the violence as a spillover of the war in neighboring Syria. |
Former Israeli prime minister and war crimes suspect Olmert (Israel Channel 2)
Former Israeli occupation prime minister Ehud Olmert said he has never compromised on right of the return of Palestinian refugees during negotiations with Abbas in 2008. Olmert in an interview with Israel Channel 2 on Friday evening said that he "agreed to the return of 5000 Palestinian refugees with ‘humanitarian profiles’ only, to be divided over five years.
He noted that he offered to Palestinian President Abbas to keep three major colonial settlements in the West Bank and to evacuate 80,000 settlers from the illegal ‘outposts’ and allow them to seek homes within these settlements.
The war crimes suspect confirmed he agreed to withdraw the Israeli army from the Jordan Valley should certain arrangements got approval of the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Israel, without pronouncing the nature of such arrangements.
“A major obstacle to making peace with the Palestinians was the absence of trust between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas,” the JPost quoted Olmert.
"I am sure that Netanyahu wants to reach a peace settlement. But I think that there is a huge gap between what Netanyahu is willing to offer Abbas and what everyone agrees is required to form the basis of an agreement," he told Channel 2.
On the question of whether Abbas would recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jews, Olmert said that Abbas gave him an answer on the issue that would satisfy Israel at the end of a diplomatic process when a peace deal was reached. Olmert did not specify what Abbas's position was.
He is identified as a war crimes suspect for launching the 22-day Cast Lead offensive against Gaza in late 2008, which claimed the lives of up to 1450 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
Former Israeli occupation prime minister Ehud Olmert said he has never compromised on right of the return of Palestinian refugees during negotiations with Abbas in 2008. Olmert in an interview with Israel Channel 2 on Friday evening said that he "agreed to the return of 5000 Palestinian refugees with ‘humanitarian profiles’ only, to be divided over five years.
He noted that he offered to Palestinian President Abbas to keep three major colonial settlements in the West Bank and to evacuate 80,000 settlers from the illegal ‘outposts’ and allow them to seek homes within these settlements.
The war crimes suspect confirmed he agreed to withdraw the Israeli army from the Jordan Valley should certain arrangements got approval of the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Israel, without pronouncing the nature of such arrangements.
“A major obstacle to making peace with the Palestinians was the absence of trust between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas,” the JPost quoted Olmert.
"I am sure that Netanyahu wants to reach a peace settlement. But I think that there is a huge gap between what Netanyahu is willing to offer Abbas and what everyone agrees is required to form the basis of an agreement," he told Channel 2.
On the question of whether Abbas would recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jews, Olmert said that Abbas gave him an answer on the issue that would satisfy Israel at the end of a diplomatic process when a peace deal was reached. Olmert did not specify what Abbas's position was.
He is identified as a war crimes suspect for launching the 22-day Cast Lead offensive against Gaza in late 2008, which claimed the lives of up to 1450 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
Child Islam Shaheen who died from lack of food and medical care
A Palestinian girl on Friday died due to dehydration and lack of medical care in al-Yarmouk refugee camp south Damascus, which has been under blockade for 209 days. Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said in a statement that child Islam Shaheen passed away as a result of dehydration and medicine shortage, raising the death toll from hunger to 101.
The statement said a state of tension prevailed among the people of the Yarmouk refugee camp as a result of continuous shootings of snipers stationed in the al-Qudum area.
Child Yamen Mahmoud was wounded by a sniper fire upon leaving along with many others Al-Waseem mosque, it added, noting that the number of Palestinians died from sniper shootings rose to 233 since the onset of violence events in early 2011.
A Palestinian girl on Friday died due to dehydration and lack of medical care in al-Yarmouk refugee camp south Damascus, which has been under blockade for 209 days. Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said in a statement that child Islam Shaheen passed away as a result of dehydration and medicine shortage, raising the death toll from hunger to 101.
The statement said a state of tension prevailed among the people of the Yarmouk refugee camp as a result of continuous shootings of snipers stationed in the al-Qudum area.
Child Yamen Mahmoud was wounded by a sniper fire upon leaving along with many others Al-Waseem mosque, it added, noting that the number of Palestinians died from sniper shootings rose to 233 since the onset of violence events in early 2011.
7 feb 2014
Three Palestinian children were killed on Thursday after the drop of a number of explosive barrels on the farms surrounding Khan Sheikh camp in Syria.
The action group for Palestinian refugees in Syria said that three Palestinian children including two brothers were killed in Khan Sheikh Refugee camp in Syria.
The sources added that the three children were targeted while collecting firewood for home-heating in light of the extreme cold weather, pointing out to the acute shortage of food and medical supplies in the camp.
In another incident, Jormana refugee camp suffers very difficult humanitarian situation due to the overcrowding after the displacement of many Palestinians from others refugee camps to Jormana camp.
The action group for Palestinian refugees in Syria said that three Palestinian children including two brothers were killed in Khan Sheikh Refugee camp in Syria.
The sources added that the three children were targeted while collecting firewood for home-heating in light of the extreme cold weather, pointing out to the acute shortage of food and medical supplies in the camp.
In another incident, Jormana refugee camp suffers very difficult humanitarian situation due to the overcrowding after the displacement of many Palestinians from others refugee camps to Jormana camp.
Coordinator for the European campaign to aid the victims of Syria Amin Abu Rashed stressed that Al-Yarmouk Refugee Camp suffers from a "very tragic situation" due to the continued siege imposed on the camp.
Abu Rashed told Quds Press that the delivery of relief aid to Yarmouk camp has entered the eight successive day on Thursday.
The aid, including food parcels, baby milk and water, have reached about 6, 000 Palestinian refugees, he added.
The aid supplies entered the camp in a smooth way after being searched, he explained.
He stressed that the aid were handed directly to the refugees, pointing out to Palestinian refugees' deteriorating living and health conditions.
He confirmed that the current relief supplies are not enough to meet the refugees' basic needs as they have been suffering from a continued siege for long months
Abu Rashed told Quds Press that the delivery of relief aid to Yarmouk camp has entered the eight successive day on Thursday.
The aid, including food parcels, baby milk and water, have reached about 6, 000 Palestinian refugees, he added.
The aid supplies entered the camp in a smooth way after being searched, he explained.
He stressed that the aid were handed directly to the refugees, pointing out to Palestinian refugees' deteriorating living and health conditions.
He confirmed that the current relief supplies are not enough to meet the refugees' basic needs as they have been suffering from a continued siege for long months
An agreement wa reached on Thursday, between the UNRWA administration and the workers who have been on a strike for more than two months.
The Minister of Labour, Ahmed al-Majdalani stated that the agreement, which is not final towards ending the strike, was a important step towards ending the strike.
Al-Majdalani also added that no reduction in the salary of the workers would be made, but rather there would be a compensation for the strike days.
The Minister of Labour, Ahmed al-Majdalani stated that the agreement, which is not final towards ending the strike, was a important step towards ending the strike.
Al-Majdalani also added that no reduction in the salary of the workers would be made, but rather there would be a compensation for the strike days.
6 feb 2014
Maan Ghubar
More than 400 Palestinian refugees are currently detained in Syrian prisons in light the ongoing crisis between Syrian regime and opposition forces, human rights group said.
Action Group for Palestinians in Syria confirmed that 360 Palestinian refugees are currently detained in Syrian regime's prisons, while 40 Palestinians refugees were detained by opposition forces.
The Palestinian Maan Ghubar was tortured to death in Syrian prisons, while Faiz Ahmed Khalil, a member in the Palestinian Popular Front – General Command, died of wounds sustained the day before yesterday during clashes with Syrian Free Army, the sources added.
Concerning the Palestinian refugee camps' conditions, the Action Group stated that electricity supply is still cut off in Daraa refugee camp for the 35th consecutive day.
More than 400 Palestinian refugees are currently detained in Syrian prisons in light the ongoing crisis between Syrian regime and opposition forces, human rights group said.
Action Group for Palestinians in Syria confirmed that 360 Palestinian refugees are currently detained in Syrian regime's prisons, while 40 Palestinians refugees were detained by opposition forces.
The Palestinian Maan Ghubar was tortured to death in Syrian prisons, while Faiz Ahmed Khalil, a member in the Palestinian Popular Front – General Command, died of wounds sustained the day before yesterday during clashes with Syrian Free Army, the sources added.
Concerning the Palestinian refugee camps' conditions, the Action Group stated that electricity supply is still cut off in Daraa refugee camp for the 35th consecutive day.
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Today the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA) and its partners announced that it has begun a large scale polio vaccination for the children in the Yarmouk refugee camp, Damascus.
The 18.000 residents that have been trapped in the camp for months, have been in desperate need of medicine and foods the UN News Centre reports. Chris Gunness, spokesperson for UNWRA stated that, “We are pleased to announce that UNRWA has secured the formal authorization for the transfer of 10,000 polio vaccines to Yarmouk Camp in Damascus,” “This process has been completed without incident and the vaccination of thousands children in the camp is now underway.” |
Mr. Gunness thanked all those who made this “life-saving development” possible. “It demonstrates that access to Yarmouk and all civilians in Syria can be sustained and that given the chance, the UN can make a real difference in the lives of real people – babies, children, women, the sick, the elderly, the dying – who have endured unimaginable suffering because of this pitiless war.”
UNRWA has also continued with food distributions in the camp, with over 800 parcels distributed yesterday. This brings to nearly 5,200 the total number of parcels delivered since 18 January, when the Agency was first permitted limited access to Yarmouk.
The Agency has also continued to transfer food supplements, such as iron in tablet and drop form, multivitamins and rehydration salts.
UNRWA has also continued with food distributions in the camp, with over 800 parcels distributed yesterday. This brings to nearly 5,200 the total number of parcels delivered since 18 January, when the Agency was first permitted limited access to Yarmouk.
The Agency has also continued to transfer food supplements, such as iron in tablet and drop form, multivitamins and rehydration salts.
5 feb 2014
Maen Aghbar died under torture
The Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said that four Palestinian refugees died on Tuesday, three of them in the Yarmouk refugee camp of starvation and lack of medical care. The group said in a statement on Wednesday that a refugee from the Aydeen camp in Homs died under torture in the Syrian jails, after an arrest that lasted more than two months.
Meanwhile, 3 other refugees including a child died due to drought and lack of nutrition because of the blockade imposed on the Yarmouk camp for several months.
The Group pointed out that the entry of food aid to the inhabitants of the besieged camp has continued for the sixth day.
"100 refugees died of hunger due to the siege that has been imposed on the Yarmouk camp by the regular army and the Popular Front for the 207th day", it said
The Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said that four Palestinian refugees died on Tuesday, three of them in the Yarmouk refugee camp of starvation and lack of medical care. The group said in a statement on Wednesday that a refugee from the Aydeen camp in Homs died under torture in the Syrian jails, after an arrest that lasted more than two months.
Meanwhile, 3 other refugees including a child died due to drought and lack of nutrition because of the blockade imposed on the Yarmouk camp for several months.
The Group pointed out that the entry of food aid to the inhabitants of the besieged camp has continued for the sixth day.
"100 refugees died of hunger due to the siege that has been imposed on the Yarmouk camp by the regular army and the Popular Front for the 207th day", it said
As more and more Palestinian refugees flee Syria, living conditions in Lebanon refugee camps are worsening, particularly in Ein el-Hilweh in the coastal city of Sidon.
A senior Fatah leader in Lebanon says unemployment rates in Palestinian refugee camps has neared 80 percent. Speaking to Ma’an, Munir Maqdah highlighted that about 25,000 Palestinian refugees who fled Syria are living in tents in Ein el-Hilweh. The population of the already densely populated camp, he said, has reached 105,000 living in a square kilometer.
In Ein el-Hilweh, there are eight schools, two medical clinics and two small hospitals all run by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
“Living conditions have become completely unbearable in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon with unemployment rates increasing day after day,” he says.
Local committees in Ein el-Hilweh, says Maqdah, have been working on 90 apartments to try and absorb refugees coming from Syria.
Maqdah highlighted that offices of “all public service facilities in Ein el-Hilweh including charities and centers have been inhabited by refugees fleeing Syria.”
UNRWA provides humanitarian aid to the refugees once every three months. However, the refugees who arrived from Syria depend mainly on humanitarian aid from other international human rights groups.
About 70,000 Palestinian refugees have fled Syria to Lebanon so far, and they are living under very dire conditions, Maqdah says. He reiterated that Palestinian factions in Lebanon were committed to PLO decision to avoid any intervention in internal Lebanese affairs.
However, “some people who work individually have been trying to implicate the Palestinian refugees in the ongoing troubles in Lebanon, but they are being monitored and would not be allowed to do that.”
A senior Fatah leader in Lebanon says unemployment rates in Palestinian refugee camps has neared 80 percent. Speaking to Ma’an, Munir Maqdah highlighted that about 25,000 Palestinian refugees who fled Syria are living in tents in Ein el-Hilweh. The population of the already densely populated camp, he said, has reached 105,000 living in a square kilometer.
In Ein el-Hilweh, there are eight schools, two medical clinics and two small hospitals all run by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
“Living conditions have become completely unbearable in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon with unemployment rates increasing day after day,” he says.
Local committees in Ein el-Hilweh, says Maqdah, have been working on 90 apartments to try and absorb refugees coming from Syria.
Maqdah highlighted that offices of “all public service facilities in Ein el-Hilweh including charities and centers have been inhabited by refugees fleeing Syria.”
UNRWA provides humanitarian aid to the refugees once every three months. However, the refugees who arrived from Syria depend mainly on humanitarian aid from other international human rights groups.
About 70,000 Palestinian refugees have fled Syria to Lebanon so far, and they are living under very dire conditions, Maqdah says. He reiterated that Palestinian factions in Lebanon were committed to PLO decision to avoid any intervention in internal Lebanese affairs.
However, “some people who work individually have been trying to implicate the Palestinian refugees in the ongoing troubles in Lebanon, but they are being monitored and would not be allowed to do that.”
