The 18,000 residents of Palestinian refugee camp in Syria have already endured siege, starvation, and fighting
Written by Sarah Lazare, staff writer for CommonDreams. Published April 6, 2015.
This photograph, taken on January 31 and released by UNRWA on February 26, 2014, shows the grim reality for those trapped inside the neighborhood of Damascus’ Yarmouk Refugee Camp. Photo courtesy United Nation News Centre via Facebook.
Aid organizations and residents are warning of a mounting humanitarian disaster in Syria’s Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, where approximately 18,000 civilians are caught between an ongoing battle involving ISIS militants, various militia group, and the Syrian government’s armed forces.
ISIS launched an attack on the camp on April 1 and was met with fierce fighting from the militia Aknaf Beit al-Madqis, which is described by the Electronic Intifada as “an anti-government militia in the camp aligned with the Palestinian faction Hamas.”
