2 mar 2014
Gun battles and shelling hit the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk in southern Damascus on Sunday, breaking a truce in place since mid-February, said a group that monitors the Syrian conflict.
"There was shelling of Yarmouk and fighting between (Al-Qaeda branch) Al-Nusra Front and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"The truce has been broken," its director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
"There was shelling of Yarmouk and fighting between (Al-Qaeda branch) Al-Nusra Front and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"The truce has been broken," its director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
The al-Nusra Front has re-positioned itself within Syria's Yarmouk camp, a leader of a Palestinian faction in Syria said in a statement Sunday.
Hussam Arafat, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -- General Command, said in a statement that the al-Qaeda-associated al-Nusra Front had stationed itself in a building in the Yarmouk's al-Reeja square.
Arafat said al-Nusra militants had occupied al-Reeja square and al-Thalatheen street in the center of the camp and were deployed in several other areas.
He warned that al-Nusra Front's presence in the camp amounted to a "dangerous escalation" that prevented humanitarian aid from entering the camp and made it impossible for sick patients to leave.
Palestinian factions in Syria are holding extensive meetings to deal with the issue, Arafat said.
In a separate statement, the al-Nusra Front confirmed its presence in the camp.
All non-Palestinian militant factions agreed to leave Yarmouk on Feb. 11 in a deal to allow humanitarian aid to the camp, whose residents were dying of hunger and disease.
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.
More than 760,000 Palestinians -- estimated today to number 4.8 million with their descendants -- were pushed into exile or driven out of their homes in the conflict surrounding Israel's creation in 1948.
Hussam Arafat, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -- General Command, said in a statement that the al-Qaeda-associated al-Nusra Front had stationed itself in a building in the Yarmouk's al-Reeja square.
Arafat said al-Nusra militants had occupied al-Reeja square and al-Thalatheen street in the center of the camp and were deployed in several other areas.
He warned that al-Nusra Front's presence in the camp amounted to a "dangerous escalation" that prevented humanitarian aid from entering the camp and made it impossible for sick patients to leave.
Palestinian factions in Syria are holding extensive meetings to deal with the issue, Arafat said.
In a separate statement, the al-Nusra Front confirmed its presence in the camp.
All non-Palestinian militant factions agreed to leave Yarmouk on Feb. 11 in a deal to allow humanitarian aid to the camp, whose residents were dying of hunger and disease.
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.
More than 760,000 Palestinians -- estimated today to number 4.8 million with their descendants -- were pushed into exile or driven out of their homes in the conflict surrounding Israel's creation in 1948.
Two Palestinian refugees were killed in Syria, one of them was starved to death due to the acute lack of food and medication in Yarmouk refugee camp, while the second was killed due to the continued shelling on Daraa refugee camp. Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said on Sunday that Mahmoud Diab died of starvation in Yarmouk camp, while Ibrahim al-Salem was killed during shelling on Daraa refugee camp.
In the same context, the Action Group pointed out that several air strikes have targeted Daraa camp yesterday, causing huge damage and a number of casualties.
Meanwhile, Yarmouk camp is still under siege for 230 consecutive days, where the distribution of food has stopped two days ago.
A state of anticipation and anxiety prevailed in Yarmouk refugee camp especially that the limited aid supplies did not meet the people's need.
In the same context, the Action Group pointed out that several air strikes have targeted Daraa camp yesterday, causing huge damage and a number of casualties.
Meanwhile, Yarmouk camp is still under siege for 230 consecutive days, where the distribution of food has stopped two days ago.
A state of anticipation and anxiety prevailed in Yarmouk refugee camp especially that the limited aid supplies did not meet the people's need.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that the situation in Yarmouk refugee camp, southern Syria's capital Damascus, is extremely complicated, calling for more relief convoys. UNRWA’s Commissioner General Filippo Grandi stated that thousands of Palestinian refugees are still trapped inside the camp due to the continuing clashes, stressing the need for reaching them especially that they did not receive food parcels.
The situation on the ground was "very messy, very localized, a lot of local dynamics at play". Each distribution required "very complex negotiations with a lot of different groups", Grandi said.
He warned that the degradation of conditions inside the camp could lead to the spread of diseases. There have been reports of mothers dying in childbirth, and families surviving on animal feed, according to Grandi's statement.
Grandi has recently entered Yarmouk camp where he was shocked by the condition of the Palestinian refugees he spoke to and the extent of war damage done to homes.
He described the camp as a ghost town after visiting it earlier this week. "The devastation is unbelievable. There is not one single building that I have seen that is not an empty shell by now. They're all blackened by smoke," he told reporters.
More than 18,000 people exist under blockade inside Yarmouk, enduring acute shortages of food, medicines and other essentials. Much of the camp has been destroyed by shelling, and attempts to deliver aid to those inside have been hampered by continued fighting in Syria's three-year-old civil war.
The situation on the ground was "very messy, very localized, a lot of local dynamics at play". Each distribution required "very complex negotiations with a lot of different groups", Grandi said.
He warned that the degradation of conditions inside the camp could lead to the spread of diseases. There have been reports of mothers dying in childbirth, and families surviving on animal feed, according to Grandi's statement.
Grandi has recently entered Yarmouk camp where he was shocked by the condition of the Palestinian refugees he spoke to and the extent of war damage done to homes.
He described the camp as a ghost town after visiting it earlier this week. "The devastation is unbelievable. There is not one single building that I have seen that is not an empty shell by now. They're all blackened by smoke," he told reporters.
More than 18,000 people exist under blockade inside Yarmouk, enduring acute shortages of food, medicines and other essentials. Much of the camp has been destroyed by shelling, and attempts to deliver aid to those inside have been hampered by continued fighting in Syria's three-year-old civil war.
1 mar 2014
Representatives of 22 nations pledged their support for Palestinian development Saturday, but the UN urged more action for refugees "in need of aid" in an "increasingly dire" situation.
The Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD) in Jakarta ended with Japan -- one of the world's biggest donors to the Palestinian Territories -- pledging $200 million, most in financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority and for infrastructure development.
But the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said in a statement that more attention should be paid to Palestinian refugees, describing appalling conditions in the Syrian camp Yarmouk.
"I have observed many conflicts in my career, but I have seldom encountered as much destruction, hunger, fear and despair as I saw in Yarmouk this week," UNRWA commissioner-general Filippo Grandi said, adding Yarmouk had become "a symbol of the tragedies accumulating for Palestinian refugees."
UNRWA estimates the funding needs for Palestinian refugees to reach $1.5 billion in 2014. Last year's combined contributions to UNRWA by countries represented at CEAPAD, excluding Japan, amounted to $2 million.
Grandi urged Asian nations to increase their support for the UNRWA, which said it had delivered aid to five million refugees.
Other aid organizations have struggled to reach Yarmouk on the outskirts of Damascus, which has been bombarded for almost a year.
The CEAPAD participants reiterated in a joint statement their commitment to the ongoing Middle East peace process, with co-chairs Indonesia and Japan expressing hope for a two-state solution in the near future.
The conference came after US Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that a full Middle East peace deal, which he is attempting to broker, will likely slip past the April 29 deadline. Kerry coaxed the two sides back to the negotiating table in late July after a three-year hiatus.
'Not someone else's problem'
Kishida told the representatives that security in the Middle East was "by no means someone else's problem in a distant region" for Asian nations.
"I firmly believe participating countries share the common determination to assist in a Palestinian state-building that promises to bring about regional peace and stability," he said.
Hamdallah expressed gratitude to donor nations, but said Israeli settlements were "severely" hampering development.
"Sixty-two percent of all our land is still controlled by the Israeli authorities. This impedes any access we have to natural resources, and severely restricts our development," he said.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that providing Palestinians with capacity-building was "critical."
"The people of Palestine have been struggling to achieve this dream for more than five decades," he said, adding Indonesia envisaged a Middle East "at peace with itself and the rest of the world."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to leave for Washington on Sunday for talks with US President Barack Obama on the peace negotiations, while talks between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and President Obama are slated for March 17.
CEAPAD is a Japanese initiative launched in Tokyo last year. This year's conference was co-chaired by Indonesia, the Palestinian Authority and Japan.
Among attending nations were South Africa, Singapore, Australia, Brunei and Vietnam, while China's special envoy on the Middle East Issue Wu Sike also attended.
The Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD) in Jakarta ended with Japan -- one of the world's biggest donors to the Palestinian Territories -- pledging $200 million, most in financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority and for infrastructure development.
But the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said in a statement that more attention should be paid to Palestinian refugees, describing appalling conditions in the Syrian camp Yarmouk.
"I have observed many conflicts in my career, but I have seldom encountered as much destruction, hunger, fear and despair as I saw in Yarmouk this week," UNRWA commissioner-general Filippo Grandi said, adding Yarmouk had become "a symbol of the tragedies accumulating for Palestinian refugees."
UNRWA estimates the funding needs for Palestinian refugees to reach $1.5 billion in 2014. Last year's combined contributions to UNRWA by countries represented at CEAPAD, excluding Japan, amounted to $2 million.
Grandi urged Asian nations to increase their support for the UNRWA, which said it had delivered aid to five million refugees.
Other aid organizations have struggled to reach Yarmouk on the outskirts of Damascus, which has been bombarded for almost a year.
The CEAPAD participants reiterated in a joint statement their commitment to the ongoing Middle East peace process, with co-chairs Indonesia and Japan expressing hope for a two-state solution in the near future.
The conference came after US Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that a full Middle East peace deal, which he is attempting to broker, will likely slip past the April 29 deadline. Kerry coaxed the two sides back to the negotiating table in late July after a three-year hiatus.
'Not someone else's problem'
Kishida told the representatives that security in the Middle East was "by no means someone else's problem in a distant region" for Asian nations.
"I firmly believe participating countries share the common determination to assist in a Palestinian state-building that promises to bring about regional peace and stability," he said.
Hamdallah expressed gratitude to donor nations, but said Israeli settlements were "severely" hampering development.
"Sixty-two percent of all our land is still controlled by the Israeli authorities. This impedes any access we have to natural resources, and severely restricts our development," he said.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that providing Palestinians with capacity-building was "critical."
"The people of Palestine have been struggling to achieve this dream for more than five decades," he said, adding Indonesia envisaged a Middle East "at peace with itself and the rest of the world."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to leave for Washington on Sunday for talks with US President Barack Obama on the peace negotiations, while talks between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and President Obama are slated for March 17.
CEAPAD is a Japanese initiative launched in Tokyo last year. This year's conference was co-chaired by Indonesia, the Palestinian Authority and Japan.
Among attending nations were South Africa, Singapore, Australia, Brunei and Vietnam, while China's special envoy on the Middle East Issue Wu Sike also attended.
The Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said that 122 Palestinians had died in Yarmouk refugee camp, south of Damascus, due to malnutrition and shortage of medicines as a result of the tight siege imposed on the camp. It said in a statement on Saturday that refugees in the camp complained that the reconciliation agreement was not being implemented and food aid sent into the camp was not enough.
The inhabitants asked for more aid similar to neighboring areas and for allowing return of inhabitants to their homes.
The inhabitants asked for more aid similar to neighboring areas and for allowing return of inhabitants to their homes.
28 feb 2014
Hussein Shehadeh aka Mansour died 27 feb 2014
Gaunt, ragged figures fill the streets for as far as the eye can see in the besieged Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk outside Damascus, where some 40,000 are said to be slowly starving to death.
The United Nations distributed shocking images this week of thousands of people, their faces emaciated, desperately flocking to receive food aid that only a few were lucky enough to collect.
"We live in a big prison," said Rami al-Sayed, a Syrian activist living in Yarmouk, speaking to AFP via the Internet.
"But at least, in a prison, you have food. Here, there's nothing. We are slowly dying."
"Sometimes, crowds of children stop me on the streets, begging me: 'For the love of God, we want to eat, give us food.' But of course, I have no food to give them," Sayed said.
After months of shelling and fierce fighting in and around Yarmuk between rebels and President Bashar Assad's troops, the camp's population has shrunk from more than 150,000 to 40,000. Among them are 18,000 Palestinians.
Since last summer, the area has been under choking army siege, creating inhumane conditions for its inhabitants.
"We've been living off herbs, but these herbs are bitter. Even animals won't eat them," said Sayed.
"And if you go to the orchards to pick herbs from there, to use them to cook soup, you'll get sniped."
"The situation is really tragic. On the streets, all you see are emaciated people, their faces drained of any life. Sadness is everywhere," said Sayed.
Even the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians was overwhelmed by the drama.
Since January, the agency has only been able to carry out limited, intermittent food distribution in the camp.
'Let us out, or let us die'
"Gaunt, ragged figures of all ages fill the streets of the devastated camp for as far as the eye can see," UNRWA said, adding that such scenes were the agency's "daily reality."
"Humanitarian need has reached profound levels of desperation. Hunger and anxiety are etched on the faces of the waiting multitudes."
Since January, UNRWA has distributed only 7,500 food parcels in Yarmouk, describing that as "a drop in the ocean compared with the rising tide of need."
One parcel feeds a family of between five and eight for 10 days.
"Yesterday (Wednesday) only 10 percent of people here received assistance," said Sayed.
Ali Zoya, a Palestinian living in Yarmouk, said "the aid will only last a few days."
Much of the camp has been reduced to rubble by shelling, fighting and occasional aerial bombardment.
The distribution only began after rebels from outside the camp agreed to withdraw, following a deal reached with Palestinian factions.
The lack of food in Yarmouk is compounded by medical shortages.
"In the hospitals, there are wounded people who cannot be treated because there are no doctors or medicines," said Sayed.
"I saw a young man with a shrapnel wound to his leg. He won't get better until he is able to leave the camp," which is still under siege even though the rebels have withdrawn.
Since October, more than 100 people have died from food and medical shortages, says to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
After a visit on Tuesday, UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi described the "shocking" conditions of life he witnessed in Yarmouk. He compared the people flocking to the distribution point as "the appearance of ghosts."
Their despair echoes that of families who were trapped in rebel-held areas of the central city of Homs for more than 18 months, also under a tight army siege imposed to turn people against Syria's nearly three-year revolt.
"People here are completely exhausted," said Sayed. "They feel tortured. They say: 'Let us out, or let us die.'"
Gaunt, ragged figures fill the streets for as far as the eye can see in the besieged Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk outside Damascus, where some 40,000 are said to be slowly starving to death.
The United Nations distributed shocking images this week of thousands of people, their faces emaciated, desperately flocking to receive food aid that only a few were lucky enough to collect.
"We live in a big prison," said Rami al-Sayed, a Syrian activist living in Yarmouk, speaking to AFP via the Internet.
"But at least, in a prison, you have food. Here, there's nothing. We are slowly dying."
"Sometimes, crowds of children stop me on the streets, begging me: 'For the love of God, we want to eat, give us food.' But of course, I have no food to give them," Sayed said.
After months of shelling and fierce fighting in and around Yarmuk between rebels and President Bashar Assad's troops, the camp's population has shrunk from more than 150,000 to 40,000. Among them are 18,000 Palestinians.
Since last summer, the area has been under choking army siege, creating inhumane conditions for its inhabitants.
"We've been living off herbs, but these herbs are bitter. Even animals won't eat them," said Sayed.
"And if you go to the orchards to pick herbs from there, to use them to cook soup, you'll get sniped."
"The situation is really tragic. On the streets, all you see are emaciated people, their faces drained of any life. Sadness is everywhere," said Sayed.
Even the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians was overwhelmed by the drama.
Since January, the agency has only been able to carry out limited, intermittent food distribution in the camp.
'Let us out, or let us die'
"Gaunt, ragged figures of all ages fill the streets of the devastated camp for as far as the eye can see," UNRWA said, adding that such scenes were the agency's "daily reality."
"Humanitarian need has reached profound levels of desperation. Hunger and anxiety are etched on the faces of the waiting multitudes."
Since January, UNRWA has distributed only 7,500 food parcels in Yarmouk, describing that as "a drop in the ocean compared with the rising tide of need."
One parcel feeds a family of between five and eight for 10 days.
"Yesterday (Wednesday) only 10 percent of people here received assistance," said Sayed.
Ali Zoya, a Palestinian living in Yarmouk, said "the aid will only last a few days."
Much of the camp has been reduced to rubble by shelling, fighting and occasional aerial bombardment.
The distribution only began after rebels from outside the camp agreed to withdraw, following a deal reached with Palestinian factions.
The lack of food in Yarmouk is compounded by medical shortages.
"In the hospitals, there are wounded people who cannot be treated because there are no doctors or medicines," said Sayed.
"I saw a young man with a shrapnel wound to his leg. He won't get better until he is able to leave the camp," which is still under siege even though the rebels have withdrawn.
Since October, more than 100 people have died from food and medical shortages, says to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
After a visit on Tuesday, UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi described the "shocking" conditions of life he witnessed in Yarmouk. He compared the people flocking to the distribution point as "the appearance of ghosts."
Their despair echoes that of families who were trapped in rebel-held areas of the central city of Homs for more than 18 months, also under a tight army siege imposed to turn people against Syria's nearly three-year revolt.
"People here are completely exhausted," said Sayed. "They feel tortured. They say: 'Let us out, or let us die.'"
26 feb 2014
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The United Nations agency for Palestine refugees on Wednesday released shocking images of Palestinians queuing for food parcels in Syria's Yarmouk refugee camp.
"It is impossible not to be touched by the apocalyptic scenes emerging from the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus, besieged and cut off for months," UNRWA Spokesman Chris Gunness said. The photo shows thousands of refugees in the besieged camp waiting in line to receive food packages delivered by UNRWA. "The delicate, hunger-ravaged features of children waiting in line for an UNRWA food parcel; the face of a mother creased in grief for a deceased child; tears of joy as a father is reunited with a long-lost daughter; these |
are the vignettes of inhumanity that have become the regular fare of nightly news bulletins. They are UNRWA's daily reality," Gunness added.
A day earlier, UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi spoke of the "shocking" conditions he had seen inside the camp, which has been under siege and bombardment for months.
"It's like the appearance of ghosts," he said of the sight of hundreds of Palestinians flooding toward an aid distribution point at the camp, when he was in the Syrian capital on Monday.
"These are people that have not been out of there," he told reporters in Beirut.
Yarmouk is one of several parts of Syria where civilians are trapped under regime or opposition sieges which prevent freedom of movement and the entry of food and medicines.
At least 90 refugees have starved to death as severe food shortages have forced many camp residents to eat stray animals to survive.
More than 140,000 people have died in Syria since the the conflict erupted in March 2011.
A day earlier, UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi spoke of the "shocking" conditions he had seen inside the camp, which has been under siege and bombardment for months.
"It's like the appearance of ghosts," he said of the sight of hundreds of Palestinians flooding toward an aid distribution point at the camp, when he was in the Syrian capital on Monday.
"These are people that have not been out of there," he told reporters in Beirut.
Yarmouk is one of several parts of Syria where civilians are trapped under regime or opposition sieges which prevent freedom of movement and the entry of food and medicines.
At least 90 refugees have starved to death as severe food shortages have forced many camp residents to eat stray animals to survive.
More than 140,000 people have died in Syria since the the conflict erupted in March 2011.
Palestinian elderly women died Tuesday of dehydration in the besieged Palestinian refugee camp. The Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said that the elderly Soheir Hasan died due to dehydration and lack of medical care in Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp.
Zaher Abu Rashed, 26, from Yarmouk camp who fled to Qudsia area has been missing since February 22, 2014 till now in al-Danaf area, the group added.
Khan al-Sheikh refugee camp’s surrounding areas are exposed to a heavy shelling by Syrian regime forces; the trapped people inside the camp suffer from the lack of electricity and fuel.
Zaher Abu Rashed, 26, from Yarmouk camp who fled to Qudsia area has been missing since February 22, 2014 till now in al-Danaf area, the group added.
Khan al-Sheikh refugee camp’s surrounding areas are exposed to a heavy shelling by Syrian regime forces; the trapped people inside the camp suffer from the lack of electricity and fuel.
A handout picture released by SANA on February 24, 2014 shows residents of Syria's besieged Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp during a relief operation led by the UNRWA
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees spoke Tuesday of the "shocking" conditions he had seen inside a Syrian camp which has been under siege and bombardment for months. UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi called for sustained access for aid deliveries to some 18,000 Palestinians who have been trapped under fire in the Yarmouk camp, in south Damascus, with dwindling food supplies.
"It's like the appearance of ghosts," he said of the sight of hundreds of Palestinians flooding toward an aid distribution point at the camp, when he was in the Syrian capital on Monday.
"These are people that have not been out of there," he told reporters in Beirut.
They "have been trapped in there not only without food, medicines, clean water -- all the basics -- but also probably completely subjected to fear because there was fierce fighting."
He said the part of the camp he had been able to enter was "like a ghost town".
"The devastation is unbelievable. There is not one single building that I have seen that is not an empty shell by now."
But he said the condition of the camp's remaining residents "is more shocking even".
"They can hardly speak," he said.
"I tried to speak to many of them, and they all tell the same stories of complete deprivation."
UNRWA has been urging humanitarian access to Yarmouk for months, warning of the dire circumstances in the camp that once housed some 160,000 Palestinians as well as many Syrians.
After a deal, the agency began distributing aid at a designated point on January 18, but the operation was halted on February 8 and virtually no help has been handed out since then.
Grandi said he hoped that a UN Security Council resolution calling for immediate humanitarian access across Syria would create pressure for increased and sustained aid for residents of Yarmuk and other areas.
The resolution, which was adopted unanimously, is "stronger than any other tool we've ever had before in Syria," he said.
But he added that the situation in Syria was also extremely complicated.
"Not all of the people that make decisions on a daily basis on access or no access have even read the resolution," he said.
"So it's important that the message is filtered down from the decision-makers in Syria ... to the commanders on the ground on both sides."
Yarmuk is one of several parts of Syria where civilians are trapped under regime or opposition sieges which prevent freedom of movement and the entry of food and medicines.
More than 140,000 people have died in Syria since the conflict erupted in March 2011.
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees spoke Tuesday of the "shocking" conditions he had seen inside a Syrian camp which has been under siege and bombardment for months. UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi called for sustained access for aid deliveries to some 18,000 Palestinians who have been trapped under fire in the Yarmouk camp, in south Damascus, with dwindling food supplies.
"It's like the appearance of ghosts," he said of the sight of hundreds of Palestinians flooding toward an aid distribution point at the camp, when he was in the Syrian capital on Monday.
"These are people that have not been out of there," he told reporters in Beirut.
They "have been trapped in there not only without food, medicines, clean water -- all the basics -- but also probably completely subjected to fear because there was fierce fighting."
He said the part of the camp he had been able to enter was "like a ghost town".
"The devastation is unbelievable. There is not one single building that I have seen that is not an empty shell by now."
But he said the condition of the camp's remaining residents "is more shocking even".
"They can hardly speak," he said.
"I tried to speak to many of them, and they all tell the same stories of complete deprivation."
UNRWA has been urging humanitarian access to Yarmouk for months, warning of the dire circumstances in the camp that once housed some 160,000 Palestinians as well as many Syrians.
After a deal, the agency began distributing aid at a designated point on January 18, but the operation was halted on February 8 and virtually no help has been handed out since then.
Grandi said he hoped that a UN Security Council resolution calling for immediate humanitarian access across Syria would create pressure for increased and sustained aid for residents of Yarmuk and other areas.
The resolution, which was adopted unanimously, is "stronger than any other tool we've ever had before in Syria," he said.
But he added that the situation in Syria was also extremely complicated.
"Not all of the people that make decisions on a daily basis on access or no access have even read the resolution," he said.
"So it's important that the message is filtered down from the decision-makers in Syria ... to the commanders on the ground on both sides."
Yarmuk is one of several parts of Syria where civilians are trapped under regime or opposition sieges which prevent freedom of movement and the entry of food and medicines.
More than 140,000 people have died in Syria since the conflict erupted in March 2011.
25 feb 2014
The Action Group for Palestinians in Syria documented the names of 35 Palestinian refugees who were killed in Syria in the course of the past week. The group said in a statement on Tuesday that 15 of them were killed in Syrian regular army barrel bombing of Ein Zaitun school and a nearby clinic in Mizrib town.
It added that ten refugees died due to lack of medical care and malnutrition in the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus while ten others were killed in various other areas in Syria.
The group said that violent clashes were reported near Khan Al-Sheikh refugee camp, adding that eight loud explosions were heard in the vicinity of the camp on Monday night, which turned out to be a new wave of barrel bombing.
Fierce clashes between the Syrian regular and free armies were also reported last night near Dera refugee camp, the group said, adding that the situation inside the camp was worsening as most medical supplies were out of stock while power was off for the past two months.
It added that ten refugees died due to lack of medical care and malnutrition in the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus while ten others were killed in various other areas in Syria.
The group said that violent clashes were reported near Khan Al-Sheikh refugee camp, adding that eight loud explosions were heard in the vicinity of the camp on Monday night, which turned out to be a new wave of barrel bombing.
Fierce clashes between the Syrian regular and free armies were also reported last night near Dera refugee camp, the group said, adding that the situation inside the camp was worsening as most medical supplies were out of stock while power was off for the past two months.
24 feb 2014
The Working Group for Palestinians in Syria said 2072 is the toll of Palestinian deaths since the beginning of the Syrian revolution till February 22,2014. 840 deaths were in Yarmouk refugee camp while 163 deaths were in Deraa refugee camp, the group added.
The group pointed out that more than 20 reasons were behind the deaths. Shelling was the biggest reason in addition to clashes, snipe, siege and other reasons.
In a relative vein, the group said that its statistics team will publish detailed statistics about the Palestinian victims in Syria next month.
On the land, the situation in the camp is getting better amid promises of accelerating the implementation of reconciliation agreement and the delivery of more than 7,000 food parcels.
The group pointed out that more than 20 reasons were behind the deaths. Shelling was the biggest reason in addition to clashes, snipe, siege and other reasons.
In a relative vein, the group said that its statistics team will publish detailed statistics about the Palestinian victims in Syria next month.
On the land, the situation in the camp is getting better amid promises of accelerating the implementation of reconciliation agreement and the delivery of more than 7,000 food parcels.
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Over the weekend Palestinian scout troops in Nablus, Jerusalem, Syria and Lebanon organized a unified event to rally Palestinians on key issues of national concern. The event was organized by the Palestinian Scouts' Association in cooperation with the Yafa Cultural Center in Balata refugee camp.
Palestinian Scouts' Association said in a press release Monday that it was the first time Palestinian scouts have gathered across borders in a forum, and included scout marches and messages of solidarity and unity with Palestinians in Syria. The events were connected via video conference to affirm the unity of all Palestinians everywhere in the struggle for liberation and return. |
Under the banner: "Scouts Lead the Way, The Camp is Our Address, Return is Our Choice", activities were organised in Balata refugee camp in Nablus, Shu'fat camp in Jerusalem, Ein al Hilweh camp in Lebanon and Yarmouk camp in Syria. They brought together troop leaders and national figures calling for an end to the siege of the Palestinian camps in Syria, and asserting the demand of Palestinians everywhere for the right of return. The calls explicitly rejected any proposals, such as resettlement and secondary displacement, all which renege on the right of all Palestinians to return to their homes of origin, in accordance with international law.
The events highlighted the unique role that scouts have historically played in the Palestinian national movement, both in Palestine and the Shatat (exile). Evoking this tradition, the scouts rallied Palestinians around a unified national position adhering to the right of return. Coordination of these events represented the unity of Palestinian scout groups, alongside other Palestinian popular organisations, in steadfast rejection of any and all schemes that would dissolve Palestinians' demand to return.
After playing the national anthem and a moment of silence for Palestinian martyrs, Muhammad Jamil Sawalmeh, the head of the Palestinian Scout Association in Palestine, began the programme of events with a few words on the history of the Scouts' movement in defending Palestinian national principles, particularly the right of return. He explained how the activities and educational programmes of the scouts had maintained the Palestinian culture of return across generations, and he emphasised the unity of the Palestinian people everywhere.
On behalf of the Yafa Cultural Center, Taysir Nasrallah, also a member of the Palestinian National Council, emphasised the unity of all the Palestinian people standing shoulder to shoulder with Palestinians in Yarmouk camp. He drew attention to the concerted efforts across Palestinian communities to raise funds, lead marches and campaign on behalf of their people in Syria. Nasrallah further stressed the need for maintaining the camps as the bridge for the return of Palestinians to their homes of origin, which is the only solution capable of ending the suffering of Palestinians. Speaking on the desperate situation of Nayrab and Handarat camps near Aleppo, Nasrallah focused on the 300 families that are being subjected to the brute force of hunger, siege and shelling. He called for an immediate intervention to put an end to the siege of these camps, and all Palestinian camps in Syria.
In Ein Al-Hilweh camp Khaled Awad, the secretary of the Palestinian Scouts Association in Lebanon affirmed the rejection of all projects that target the right of return against the wishes of Palestinians. He also affirmed the solidarity of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon with their secondarily displaced families from the camps in Syria, calling on their continued support through donations and other means. He also warned that the targeting of Palestinian camps is one of the methods that resettlement schemes are carried out, and therefore must be rejected.
From the capital of the Palestinian homeland, in the Shu'fat camp in Jerusalem, the director of the Shu'fat Youth Activities Centre Muhammad Al-Bahri, affirmed the unwavering stand of the people of Jerusalem against its Judaization, and their solidarity with Palestinians in Yarmouk and across all Palestinian refugee camps. The head of the Palestinian Scouts Association in Jerusalem, Maher Muhsin, also declared the solidarity of the scouts in Jerusalem with Palestinians in the refugee camps in Syria, and with Yarmouk camp in particular, as it is the capital of the camps of the Shatat.
In Yarmouk itself scouts gathered in front of the Palestine Hospital with signs asserting the "readiness of the Scouts to serve the sons and daughters of Yarmouk through our ordeal", and: "the right of return will always be the principle we hold in our hearts". In response, another scout from Balata camp replied: "I am a refugee from Jaffa, and I live in Balata camp. I demand my right, and the right of my brothers and sisters in Syria and Lebanon to return to our homes. And we are certain to return! Our heart beats with Yarmouk!"
The events highlighted the unique role that scouts have historically played in the Palestinian national movement, both in Palestine and the Shatat (exile). Evoking this tradition, the scouts rallied Palestinians around a unified national position adhering to the right of return. Coordination of these events represented the unity of Palestinian scout groups, alongside other Palestinian popular organisations, in steadfast rejection of any and all schemes that would dissolve Palestinians' demand to return.
After playing the national anthem and a moment of silence for Palestinian martyrs, Muhammad Jamil Sawalmeh, the head of the Palestinian Scout Association in Palestine, began the programme of events with a few words on the history of the Scouts' movement in defending Palestinian national principles, particularly the right of return. He explained how the activities and educational programmes of the scouts had maintained the Palestinian culture of return across generations, and he emphasised the unity of the Palestinian people everywhere.
On behalf of the Yafa Cultural Center, Taysir Nasrallah, also a member of the Palestinian National Council, emphasised the unity of all the Palestinian people standing shoulder to shoulder with Palestinians in Yarmouk camp. He drew attention to the concerted efforts across Palestinian communities to raise funds, lead marches and campaign on behalf of their people in Syria. Nasrallah further stressed the need for maintaining the camps as the bridge for the return of Palestinians to their homes of origin, which is the only solution capable of ending the suffering of Palestinians. Speaking on the desperate situation of Nayrab and Handarat camps near Aleppo, Nasrallah focused on the 300 families that are being subjected to the brute force of hunger, siege and shelling. He called for an immediate intervention to put an end to the siege of these camps, and all Palestinian camps in Syria.
In Ein Al-Hilweh camp Khaled Awad, the secretary of the Palestinian Scouts Association in Lebanon affirmed the rejection of all projects that target the right of return against the wishes of Palestinians. He also affirmed the solidarity of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon with their secondarily displaced families from the camps in Syria, calling on their continued support through donations and other means. He also warned that the targeting of Palestinian camps is one of the methods that resettlement schemes are carried out, and therefore must be rejected.
From the capital of the Palestinian homeland, in the Shu'fat camp in Jerusalem, the director of the Shu'fat Youth Activities Centre Muhammad Al-Bahri, affirmed the unwavering stand of the people of Jerusalem against its Judaization, and their solidarity with Palestinians in Yarmouk and across all Palestinian refugee camps. The head of the Palestinian Scouts Association in Jerusalem, Maher Muhsin, also declared the solidarity of the scouts in Jerusalem with Palestinians in the refugee camps in Syria, and with Yarmouk camp in particular, as it is the capital of the camps of the Shatat.
In Yarmouk itself scouts gathered in front of the Palestine Hospital with signs asserting the "readiness of the Scouts to serve the sons and daughters of Yarmouk through our ordeal", and: "the right of return will always be the principle we hold in our hearts". In response, another scout from Balata camp replied: "I am a refugee from Jaffa, and I live in Balata camp. I demand my right, and the right of my brothers and sisters in Syria and Lebanon to return to our homes. And we are certain to return! Our heart beats with Yarmouk!"
