30 dec 2013
At least 15 Palestinians have died of hunger since September in a besieged refugee camp in the Syrian capital Damascus, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees told AFP on Monday.
"Reports have come in over the weekend that at least five Palestinian refugees in the besieged refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus have died because of malnutrition, bringing the total number of reported cases to 15," UN Relief and Works Agency spokesman Chris Gunness told AFP.
He warned of a deteriorating situation in the camp, where some 20,000 Palestinians are trapped, with limited food and medical supplies.
"Since September 2013 we have been unable to enter the area to deliver desperately needed relief supplies," Gunness said.
"The continued presence of armed groups that entered the area at the end of 2012 and its closure by government forces have thwarted all our humanitarian efforts."
Most of the Yarmouk camp in southern Damascus is under the control of the armed opposition, and it has been under a siege by troops loyal to President Bashar Assad for around a year.
The blockade has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, and the exodus of tens of thousands of the camp's 170,000 residents.
On Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights NGO reported five people in the camp had died of malnutrition, including an elderly man, a disabled man and a woman.
UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi addressed the situation earlier this month, warning that conditions in Yarmouk had "progressively deteriorated".
"If this situation is not addressed urgently, it may be too late to save the lives of thousands of people including children," he warned.
Gunness said UNRWA was calling "all parties to immediately heed their legal obligations and facilitate the urgent provision of humanitarian assistance to Yarmuk and other Palestinian refugee camps."
Syria is officially home to nearly 500,000 Palestinian refugees, around half of whom have been displaced by the deadly conflict that broke out in March 2011, becoming refugees for a second time.
More than 126,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict.
"Reports have come in over the weekend that at least five Palestinian refugees in the besieged refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus have died because of malnutrition, bringing the total number of reported cases to 15," UN Relief and Works Agency spokesman Chris Gunness told AFP.
He warned of a deteriorating situation in the camp, where some 20,000 Palestinians are trapped, with limited food and medical supplies.
"Since September 2013 we have been unable to enter the area to deliver desperately needed relief supplies," Gunness said.
"The continued presence of armed groups that entered the area at the end of 2012 and its closure by government forces have thwarted all our humanitarian efforts."
Most of the Yarmouk camp in southern Damascus is under the control of the armed opposition, and it has been under a siege by troops loyal to President Bashar Assad for around a year.
The blockade has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, and the exodus of tens of thousands of the camp's 170,000 residents.
On Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights NGO reported five people in the camp had died of malnutrition, including an elderly man, a disabled man and a woman.
UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi addressed the situation earlier this month, warning that conditions in Yarmouk had "progressively deteriorated".
"If this situation is not addressed urgently, it may be too late to save the lives of thousands of people including children," he warned.
Gunness said UNRWA was calling "all parties to immediately heed their legal obligations and facilitate the urgent provision of humanitarian assistance to Yarmuk and other Palestinian refugee camps."
Syria is officially home to nearly 500,000 Palestinian refugees, around half of whom have been displaced by the deadly conflict that broke out in March 2011, becoming refugees for a second time.
More than 126,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict.
Eight Palestinian refugees died on Sunday in Yramouk refugee camp in Syria due to hunger and unstopped shelling on the besieged camp, monitoring group reported. Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said in a statement that “Adnan al-Nazer ,40, Qasem Khyrat,16 and Abdo Abdullah were killed by a sniper shots while they were trying to cross Bardi checkpoint.”
It added that the elderly Ibrahim Bibi 60 and Mohammed abu Naser both died of previous injuries they sustained in Syrian army bombing on the camp.
According to the group, Rabeaa Madi, Bashar Ajan and Mayssra Qonberji died as a result of malnutrition and the lack of the necessary treatment.
The Group noted that Khan al-Shiekh refugee camp is a subject to almost daily shelling and is reeling under a life-sapping blockade by the Syria Army.
The people of the camp appealed all the international bodies of the United Nations, local organizations of the Palestinian movements and Palestine Liberation Organization , which considers itself the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, to intervene to lift the injustice the Palestinian refugee camps in Syria suffer, the group said.
Youth initiative for Supporting Refugees in Gaza organized on Sunday evening a solidarity sit-in to support the Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk camp.
Several Palestinian families who returned from Syria in addition to human right activists participated in the sit-in.
“ We, the people of the Gaza Strip, support our families and brothers in Syria and we will not hesitate to help them with all possible means,” The chairman of the initiative Mostafa Mater said.
He affirmed that the Palestinians in Syria don’t need denunciations, they need real actions to put an end for their suffering.
It added that the elderly Ibrahim Bibi 60 and Mohammed abu Naser both died of previous injuries they sustained in Syrian army bombing on the camp.
According to the group, Rabeaa Madi, Bashar Ajan and Mayssra Qonberji died as a result of malnutrition and the lack of the necessary treatment.
The Group noted that Khan al-Shiekh refugee camp is a subject to almost daily shelling and is reeling under a life-sapping blockade by the Syria Army.
The people of the camp appealed all the international bodies of the United Nations, local organizations of the Palestinian movements and Palestine Liberation Organization , which considers itself the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, to intervene to lift the injustice the Palestinian refugee camps in Syria suffer, the group said.
Youth initiative for Supporting Refugees in Gaza organized on Sunday evening a solidarity sit-in to support the Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk camp.
Several Palestinian families who returned from Syria in addition to human right activists participated in the sit-in.
“ We, the people of the Gaza Strip, support our families and brothers in Syria and we will not hesitate to help them with all possible means,” The chairman of the initiative Mostafa Mater said.
He affirmed that the Palestinians in Syria don’t need denunciations, they need real actions to put an end for their suffering.
29 dec 2013
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The working group for the Palestinians in Syria reported that two Palestinian refugees died on Saturday due to the continued shelling and siege on Syria refugee camps.
The group said in a press statement on Sunday that a young man from Daraa camp was killed by shrapnel of mortar shells that fell on the camp, while a woman in Yarmouk camp died of starvation because of the blockade imposed on the camp. It added that Tarchiha neighborhood in Handarat camp in Aleppo was bombed, which resulted in significant damages in the place, pointing out that most of the camp residents have fled due to the continued clashes and shelling. |
Violent clashes also took place in Daraa camp between groups of the free army and the regular army and a number of shells fell on different places, causing no casualties, the activists reported.
They noted that the Yarmouk camp is suffering a humanitarian disaster after running out of food and medicine because of the continued siege imposed by the Syrian army forces and groups of the Popular Front - General Command - on the camp for 165 days unabated.
The working group pointed that in December 2013 eleven refugees died in the camp due to malnutrition, while power outages has continued for more than a year.
They noted that the Yarmouk camp is suffering a humanitarian disaster after running out of food and medicine because of the continued siege imposed by the Syrian army forces and groups of the Popular Front - General Command - on the camp for 165 days unabated.
The working group pointed that in December 2013 eleven refugees died in the camp due to malnutrition, while power outages has continued for more than a year.
28 dec 2013
The European Union has announced a 16 million euro ($21.9 million) contribution to the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA said in a statement Friday.
The donation brought the EU's contribution to UNRWA to nearly $210 million, the statement said, adding that 41 percent of UNRWA's funding came from European countries in 2013.
"The latest generous contribution comes in response to the worsening situation in Syria and the increasing numbers of civilian deaths and casualties, including among Palestinians and humanitarian workers."
The war in Syria, UNRWA said, has rendered 440,000 Palestine refugees in "dire need" of humanitarian relief.
Twenty of the agency's employees in Syria are currently detained or missing, the statement said.
Praising the EU for its donation, UNRWA called on countries in the region to "follow the example of the European Union and help the Agency ensure that it is able to continue its work with Palestine refugees."
Also Friday, a Syrian monitoring group announced that five Palestinians had died of hunger in the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus.
"Five people died, including an elderly man, a disabled man and a woman, as a result of malnutrition and the lack of the necessary treatment," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
At least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Syria conflict.
Some 250,000 Palestinian refugees have been forced to leave their refugee camps in Syria due to violence in the country.
UNRWA is the UN agency originally set up in 1949 to ensure for relief and development for the Palestinian refugees expelled from what became the state of Israel in 1948.
Today, the agency provides health care, education, social services, and other forms of aid to nearly 5 million Palestinian refugees.
The donation brought the EU's contribution to UNRWA to nearly $210 million, the statement said, adding that 41 percent of UNRWA's funding came from European countries in 2013.
"The latest generous contribution comes in response to the worsening situation in Syria and the increasing numbers of civilian deaths and casualties, including among Palestinians and humanitarian workers."
The war in Syria, UNRWA said, has rendered 440,000 Palestine refugees in "dire need" of humanitarian relief.
Twenty of the agency's employees in Syria are currently detained or missing, the statement said.
Praising the EU for its donation, UNRWA called on countries in the region to "follow the example of the European Union and help the Agency ensure that it is able to continue its work with Palestine refugees."
Also Friday, a Syrian monitoring group announced that five Palestinians had died of hunger in the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus.
"Five people died, including an elderly man, a disabled man and a woman, as a result of malnutrition and the lack of the necessary treatment," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
At least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Syria conflict.
Some 250,000 Palestinian refugees have been forced to leave their refugee camps in Syria due to violence in the country.
UNRWA is the UN agency originally set up in 1949 to ensure for relief and development for the Palestinian refugees expelled from what became the state of Israel in 1948.
Today, the agency provides health care, education, social services, and other forms of aid to nearly 5 million Palestinian refugees.
People perform funeral prayer for Palestinians killed in Syria
Six Palestinians died Friday of hunger in Syria's Yarmouk refugee camp due to the siege imposed on the camp , and the continued bombing on it. Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said in a statement that "five Palestinian refugees have died as a result of the siege of Yarmouk camp imposed for 164 days in a row and the lack of food and medicine,"
The group identified them as Ahmed Rashid Hamid, Fayez Saadia , Zuhair Sinan, Houidh al-Hamawi , and Ahmad Odwan who is physically challenged.
While child girl Janah Shadi from A'edeen refugee camp in Homs died of injuries sustained in a blast that hit camp on Thursday, the group added.
A state of panic , tension and fear caught the people of the camp after Thursday's blast which occurred in front of a food shop in the middle of Al-Quds Street, which killed two including the girl and wounded many including women and children, the statement said.
The Group noted that Khan al-Shiekh refugee camp is subject to almost daily shelling resulted in many its residents killed and a large number wounded, and is reeling under a life-sapping blockade by the Syria Army.
The people of the camp appealed all international bodies of the United Nations and UNRWA, or local of the Palestinian movements and the Palestine Liberation Organization , which considers itself the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, to intervene to lift the injustice the Palestinian refugee camps in Syria suffers, the group said.
In Dera'a refugee camp, the Palestinians suffer from scarcity of food, medicines, fuel and the continued power and communication cuts for long periods of time.
Six Palestinians died Friday of hunger in Syria's Yarmouk refugee camp due to the siege imposed on the camp , and the continued bombing on it. Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said in a statement that "five Palestinian refugees have died as a result of the siege of Yarmouk camp imposed for 164 days in a row and the lack of food and medicine,"
The group identified them as Ahmed Rashid Hamid, Fayez Saadia , Zuhair Sinan, Houidh al-Hamawi , and Ahmad Odwan who is physically challenged.
While child girl Janah Shadi from A'edeen refugee camp in Homs died of injuries sustained in a blast that hit camp on Thursday, the group added.
A state of panic , tension and fear caught the people of the camp after Thursday's blast which occurred in front of a food shop in the middle of Al-Quds Street, which killed two including the girl and wounded many including women and children, the statement said.
The Group noted that Khan al-Shiekh refugee camp is subject to almost daily shelling resulted in many its residents killed and a large number wounded, and is reeling under a life-sapping blockade by the Syria Army.
The people of the camp appealed all international bodies of the United Nations and UNRWA, or local of the Palestinian movements and the Palestine Liberation Organization , which considers itself the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, to intervene to lift the injustice the Palestinian refugee camps in Syria suffers, the group said.
In Dera'a refugee camp, the Palestinians suffer from scarcity of food, medicines, fuel and the continued power and communication cuts for long periods of time.