Press Briefing on the Situation in the Yarmouk Refugee Camp

A press briefing about the latest developments in the Yarmouk refugee camp. The briefing addressed the latest developments related to the field and the humanitarian situation inside the camp, where the AGPS followed up developments of recent events in the Yarmouk refugee camp.

The recent development resulted in aggravated living situation as a result of the outbreak of clashes between Al Nusra front and ISIS, when the latter attempt to control the Yarmouk and the expulsion of Nusra, in light of the continued siege imposed on the camp by the regular army and the PFGC.

Accordingly, the situation could be summarized as follows:

On 7 April 2016, clashes and sniping broke out in the Yarmouk refugee camp between members of ISIS and Al Nusra Front. The two parties covered a number of streets with protective clothing in order to block out the vision and protect themselves from sniping.They also were digging holes for shooting and sniping inside the houses and shops in Loubeiya Street. The clashes included Khamastaash Street, Haifa Street, Jaouna, and Safed area, ISIS seeks to cut off all supply lines of Al Nusra at Al Qadam area adjacent to the camp. ISIS imposed control over Al Orouba checkpoint which separates the Yarmouk refugee camp and Yalda area, while attempts have done by some notables to calm the situation and prevent deterioration.

On 8 April a number of people from the Yarmouk refugee camp were injured because of the continued clashes between ISIS and Al Nusra Front, while a child was injured in his leg when he was going to school. News reported that an Emir at ISIS called "Abu Ali Saidi" was seriously injured.

On 11 April 2016, the three Palestinian refugees "Ahmed Hamdan," "Mohammed Amayri," and "Muhammad Ali" died due to the clashes between ISIS and Al Nusra, while our correspondent confirmed a number of casualties among the two parties of conflict, in addition to the burning of some houses in Haifa Street, after the use of Molotov bombs.

These events accompanied by mortar shelling by the Syrian regime and ISIS, targeted AL Nusra controlled areas.

The deterioration of humanitarian situation as a result of besieging dozens of families inside their homes in the camp at Haifa Street, Khamastaash Street, Al Shatat area, AlQuds mosque area, and Al Madares Street, where civilians are suffering from severe living conditions due to the lack of food, medicine, and water, as they demanded roads to be open and secure for obtaining aid.

The number of documented victims since the clashes renewed until the 12th of April is the three victims; they are: Ahmed Hamdan, Mohammed Amayri, and Muhammad Ali.

the AGPS confirms receiving several distress calls from trapped families in the fighting areas in the Yarmouk, where they appealed the conflict parties in the camp and the Syrian regime to open roads and secure the delivery of water, where they do not have potable water or water from artesian wells, which they buy through "reservoirs".

Activists and some residents confirmed that there are many families, distributed in Safed Street, Jauna lanes, Khamastaash lanes, and Abu Fouad bakery; refuse to get out for fear of their houses to be stolen, similar to what happened to most houses of the camp, especially Yarmouk Street western area.

In light of these serious field developments, especially humanitarian ones, regarding cessation of all attempts to enter food aid, the AGPS appeals all international institutions, especially the humanitarian institutions, to make further efforts to introduce aid or attempt to launch initiatives to stop the bloodshed.

The AGPS also stresses the need for all Palestinian and Syrian authorities to bear their responsibilities at home and abroad, and to move as soon as possible to stop the deteriorating situation inside the camp. The AGPS holds the Syrian regime direct responsible for the continuation of the siege, and put thousands of Palestinian civilians held hostages by the ongoing situation in the country

The AGPS monitoring and documentation team announced that five Palestinian refugees from the Yarmouk refugee camp died since the beginning of this April, including two refugees have died due to torture in the Syrian prisons; they are: Ahmed Mohammed Barnawi, who died after being detained for about two years and a half, and Ibrahim Mahmoud Mohammed, who died after being detained for about three years. Three other refugees died during clashes broke out between ISIS and Al Nusra Front in the Yarmouk refugee camp; they are: Ahmed Hamdan, Mohammed Amayri, and Muhammad Ali.

It is noteworthy that the number of Palestinians from the Yarmouk refugee camp who have died since the beginning of the conflict in Syria has reached 1247 victims, according to the AGPS documented statistics..