Damascus: A UN agency chief said on Sunday he was deeply concerned for civilians stuck in a Damascus refugee camp while visiting a school housing residents who escaped.
“We remain very worried for refugees and civilians inside Yarmouk. We are very determined to provide assistance to those who have decided temporarily to leave the camp and find shelter elsewhere,” said Pierre Krahenbuhl, who heads the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
On April 1, Daesh launched an assault on Yarmouk, which was once a vibrant home to 160,000 Palestinians as well as Syrians but now has fewer than 18,000 residents.
The camp has seen violent clashes between pro-regime and opposition forces since 2012, and has endured a suffocating army siege since 2013.
He said UNRWA remained “determined” to bring aid to Palestinians who have fled to Yalda and Babila, two neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Yarmouk.
Krahenbuhl said “the focus is on how to provide assistance for people inside.”
“We are also thinking about how we can we improve the ability for people who wish to leave temporarily to come out safely and to receive assistance,” he said.
More than 200 people have been killed since the beginning of the government’s siege on Yarmouk, including dozens who died of hunger.
Krahenbuhl arrived in Damascus on Saturday on an “urgent mission” to discuss aid to civilians fleeing the violence in Yarmouk.
He was set to meet with Syrian government representatives as well as the UN’s deputy special envoy Ramzi Ezz Al Deen Ramzi.
Syria’s regime has said a “military operation” would be necessary to push Daesh out of Yarmouk.
But UNRWA said Krahenbuhl’s visit sought to find “peaceful approaches to addressing the humanitarian consequences of the situation”.
The UNRWA chief called for “clear respect for civilians inside Yarmouk” and for a safe passage that would allow them to seek aid outside of the camp.
According to Palestinian sources, some 2,500 civilians from Yarmouk have taken refuge in Damascus schools.
