Damascus--A UN agency chief said Sunday he was deeply concerned for civilians stuck in a Damascus refugee camp after it was stormed by the extremist Islamic State group.
"We remain very worried for refugees and civilians inside Yarmuk. 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, IS launched an assault on Yarmuk, which was once a vibrant home to 160,000 Palestinians 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 a suffocating army siege since 2013.
Krahenbuhl spoke while visiting a school in the Tadamon neighbourhood, where displaced Palestinians from Yarmuk have sought refuge.
He said UNRWA remained "determined" to bring aid to Palestinians who have fled to Yalda and Babila, two neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Yarmuk.
Krahenbuhl said that since the "dramatic changes" brought about by IS's assault on Yarmuk, "the focus is on how to provide assistance for people inside."
"We are also thinking about how we can we 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 Yarmuk, 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 Yarmuk.
He was set to meet with Syrian government representatives as well as the UN's deputy special envoy Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy.
Syria's regime has said a "military operation" would be necessary to push IS out of Yarmuk.
AFP
