Suffering of Civilians in Yarmouk Camp Associated with Gunmen Presence There- UNRWA

DAMASCUS, (ST)-UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl has stressed that the aim of his visit to Damascus was to hold dialogue with the Syrian government on finding ways to increase and improve the assistance UNRWA used to provide to civilians in al-Yarmouk camp.  

In a press conference on Tuesday, Krahenbuhl hailed the Syrian government’s support for the organization’s suggestion about widening the UN response to aiding the people who left the camp, pointing out the organization can build on this support in the coming days.

The UN official affirmed that with the help of the Syrian government humanitarian aid was provided to 500 people who left al-Yarmouk Camp to the town of Yelda.

He asserted that “the continuity of the suffering of civilians in the camp is associated with the presence of armed groups there, a matter that necessitates from us to look for the party which has influence on the armed groups and urge it to shoulder the responsibility of protecting civilians.”

Krahenbuhl pointed out that UNRWA coordinate with the Syrian government to find a place where civilians can reach safely as to get the humanitarian assistance.

“UNRWA has old relations with the Syrian government because it has been working in Syria for 60 years so dialogue with this government is something normal,” Krahenbuhl said.

Some 2000 people left al-Yarmouk camp over the past days with the help of the Syrian Arab Army fleeing the atrocities of ISIS and al-Nousra Front terrorist organizations. They were moved to temporary sheltering centers equipped by the Syrian government in al-Tadamun and al-Zahera neighborhoods.

Hamda Mustafa