AFP –A UN agency chief said Sunday he was deeply concerned for civilians stuck in Yarmouk Refugee Camp after it was stormed by ISIS.
“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, ISIS launched an assault on Yarmouk, which was once a vibrant home to over than 160,000 Palestinian refugees 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 an intense siege imposed by Assad regime since 2013.
Krahenbuhl spoke while visiting a school in the Tadamon Neighbourhood, where displaced Palestinian refugees from Yarmouk have sought refuge.
He said that since the “dramatic changes” brought about by ISIS assault on Yarmouk, “the focus is on how to provide assistance for people inside.”
“We are also thinking about how we can 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.
Meanwhile, a number of Palestinians and Syrian opposition group were reported to have started a military operation to liberate Yarmouk from ISIS and Al-Nusra.
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