UNRWA on Sunday expressed concern over the fate of some half a million Palestinian refugees living in war-torn Syria, particularly those residing in the Yarmouk neighborhood of Damascus. \"UNRWA views with increasingly grave concern the situation in Syria, particularly as regards the implications for the stability and protection of 500,000 Palestine refugees across the country,\" the agency said. \"The current situation in the Damascus neighborhood of Yarmouk and in rural Damascus, home to both Syrian and Palestinian communities, is especially worrying,\" it said, referring to a district which is home to more than 112,000 Palestinians. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which represents Palestinian refugees, also raised fears over the safety of its staff and offices in Syria as well as its ability to get access to those affected by the conflict. UNRWA urged all those engaged in the conflict to take steps \"to preserve human life, to avoid forced displacement and to exercise the utmost restraint\" while demonstrating \"respect for the neutrality and integrity of U.N. installations\" and places where refugees and other civilians live. \"UNRWA has appealed to the Syrian authorities to safeguard the security of Palestine refugees wherever they reside in Syria,\" the agency said, indicating it would continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. Damascus has been engulfed in clashes over the last week, with heavy fighting breaking out across several districts as the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad try to stamp out a nationwide uprising which is now in its 16th month. More than 19,000 people have been killed, more than two-thirds of them civilians, since the revolt against the Assad regime erupted in March 2011, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday. Syria is home to 486,000 Palestine refugees living in nine official and three unofficial camps, UNRWA statistics show.
GMT 01:03 2018 Wednesday ,24 January
Trump 'imitates' Modi's accent in private conversation: ReportGMT 21:24 2018 Tuesday ,23 January
Puigdemont accuses EU of not defending rights in CataloniaGMT 21:18 2018 Tuesday ,23 January
Vietnam oil exec 'kidnapped' from Germany jailed for lifeGMT 21:08 2018 Tuesday ,23 January
Turkey in new assault on Kurdish militiaGMT 21:04 2018 Tuesday ,23 January
Turkey detains 24 over 'terror propaganda'GMT 20:52 2018 Tuesday ,23 January
Dawoodi Bohra leader arrives in DubaiGMT 22:09 2018 Monday ,22 January
Israel apologises to JordanGMT 16:11 2018 Sunday ,21 January
Pope condemns criminals in crime-stricken Peruvian city

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor