Deputy PM: Yarmouk Camp’s basic needs to be ensured

DAMASCUS,(ST)_ Syrian government is keen on ensuring basic needs in al-Yarmouk Camp to encourage the displaced people, who fled the camp because of armed groups’ terrorist acts, to return their homes.

The remark was made on Thursday by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs during a meeting with a delegation representing the Palestinian national civil committee.

SANA quoted Dr. Qadri Jamil as saying: “Cooperation with the committee that represents different Palestinian forces is an example to bring about solution to citizen’s matters.”

The government is to provide the camp with 20.000 litters of fuel plus 1000 gas cylinders, not to mention re-operating bakeries and opening a temporary center to distribute basic needs among the Camp’s citizens.

“Initially, the focus will be on ensuring the requirements of low-income families and those who are in urgent need,” Dr.Jamil said.

He clarified that the committee will supervise the bakeries’ work, process of distribution to guarantee the arrival of basic needs to all citizens justly.

Recently, a new procedure was adopted by government to prevent monopolization and smuggling of basic needs and to ‘justly’ distribute basic needs (especially gas, fuel and bread) among citizens.

The procedure is based on enhancing cooperation between citizens and government in this regard. It is described by Dr. Jamil as ‘a map of Syria’s future’ to ensure the best possible distribution of citizens’ daily requirements.

State Minister for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Affairs, who also attended the meeting, said: “The SARC will provide- like the Syrian citizens – the affected Palestinian refugees with medicine, food and blankets as aid in coordination with the committee.”

Joseph Sweid added that the aid will be offered continually to meet citizen’s needs, noting that a coordinator between the two sides (government and committee) is to be appointed to provide the camp’s affected citizens with all their needs.

For their part, the committee’s members highly appreciated the Syrian government’s efforts to meet the needs of the camp’s citizens, asserting that such steps will encourage displaced Palestinian citizens to return their homes.

Mohammad Ahmad Arrab, the Committee’s Secretary, restated the Palestinian people will remain loyal to Syria and its people, hoping that Syria, which has hosted the Palestinian refugees on its land, will come out of the crisis stronger.  

Basma Qaddour