Un Security Council Outlines Aid Plan For Yarmouk

The UN Security Council on Monday outlined a three-point plan for the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria's capital for the protection of civilians.



"The members of the Security Council called for unhindered humanitarian access to the Yarmouk camp and for the protection of civilians inside," the 15-member body said in a statement.



The camp, which had been besieged by government troops since 2012, has been engulfed by intense fighting since the beginning of April when militants with Daesh and Al-Nusra Front reportedly entered the camp.



The camp houses about 18,000 Palestinian refugees, including nearly 3,500 children.



The Council's plan includes helping civilians "who are unwilling or unable to leave Yarmouk," assisting those "who want to temporarily relocate" from the camp and providing aid for residents who have already fled.



"The members of the Security Council called on all parties to support the UN framework and to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, international human rights and refugees laws, and demanded that all parties cease all attacks against civilians, including shelling and aerial bombardment."



The statement followed a closed-door meeting on the latest humanitarian situation in the camp. Pierre Krahenbuhl, who leads the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, and Ramzy Ezzeldine Ramzy, deputy special envoy for Syria, briefed the Council that welcomed UN efforts at the camp and stressed the need to support recent funding appeals made by UNRWA.



The agency on Friday launched an emergency appeal for $30 million to carry out life-sustaining assistance to civilians in the besieged camp.



The conflict in Syria, which began in March 2011, has claimed more than 220,000 lives, according to the UN.



The unrest created by the civil war paved the way for terrorist groups to gain a foothold in the region.



www.aa.com.tr - New York