AMMAN — Around 30 Jordanians gathered outside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) premises in the capital on Saturday in solidarity with the residents of the Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugees in Syria.
In Damascus, meanwhile, a UN official warned on Friday that the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian-dominated Yarmouk district was deteriorating as aid access to the area remains cut, The Associated Press reported.
The event was organised by the Save Yarmouk Camp Campaign-Jordan as part of similar events held in Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Algeria, Germany, Sweden, Canada and France, according to the initiative’s Facebook page.
Organisers handed the ICRC a memorandum asking the international organisation to support the camp’s residents and calling for forming a committee to assess the dangerous humanitarian conditions there and provide residents with food and medicines.
The memo also called for securing a safe route to deliver aid to the camp, which has been under siege for more than 180 days, resulting in severe shortages in food and supplies.
At least 35 people have died in the camp, mainly old people and children, according to the memorandum.
Christopher Gunness, an UNRWA official, cited reports of widespread malnutrition and the absence of medical care, including for pregnant women, AP reported.
“The profound civilian suffering in Yarmouk deepens,” he said.
Syrian rebels seized Yarmouk more than a year ago, part of a swathe of neighbourhoods around Damascus now held by opposition fighters.
Before the Syrian conflict, Yarmouk was a densely populated district of cheaply built multi-storey homes, but was called a “camp” since Palestinians came there as refugees during the 1948 Mideast war after Israel was created on Palestinian land, AP reported.
Hassan Masoud, one of the participants in Saturday’s demonstration, called on the ICRC to support the residents of Yarmouk camp.
“The mission of the ICRC is a humane one, so they should help the camp’s residents by providing them with aid,” he told The Jordan Times outside the ICRC premises in Amman’s upscale Deir Ghbar neighbourhood.
Mohammad Khawaja, another participant, said Palestinian refugees are paying the price of the internal conflicts in Arab countries.
“Palestinians were affected by the sectarian war in Lebanon. Now, Palestinians are paying the price of the conflict between the Syrian regime and the armed opposition,” he noted.
“I am really sad when I see [Arab countries] spend huge amounts of money on celebrations. When it comes to Palestinians, Arabs do nothing because they are afraid of Israel and the US,” Khawaja charged.
“We do not want the world to send them weapons, only food.”
Ahmad, who refused to give his family name, called for the withdrawal of armed groups from the camp to put an end to the siege.
“I ask all parties not to involve Palestinian camps in any internal conflict.”
Ahmad said both the regime and the rebels are to blame for the humanitarian crisis inside the camp.
Masoud claimed that the goal behind the siege of the camp is to send a political message that all Palestinian refugees will be deported.
Mohammad Saud, another participant, accused the Syrian regime of starving the people to break the opposition.
“The Syrian regime found that it could not stand against the people, so it decided to starve them. When a person sees his child dying of hunger, he will think twice before speaking against the regime.”
