UNRWA: 15 Palestinians dead from hunger in Syria camp

[oberliner]

At least 15 Palestinians have died of hunger since September in a besieged refugee camp in the Syrian capital Damascus, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees told AFP on Monday.

"Reports have come in over the weekend that at least five Palestinian refugees in the besieged refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus have died because of malnutrition, bringing the total number of reported cases to 15," UN Relief and Works Agency spokesman Chris Gunness told AFP.

He warned of a deteriorating situation in the camp, where some 20,000 Palestinians are trapped, with limited food and medical supplies.

"Since September 2013 we have been unable to enter the area to deliver desperately needed relief supplies," Gunness said.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=661450

[Jefferson23]

1. Massive Syrian Refugee Crisis Visible From Space

By Christoph Koettl
December 16, 2013 at 12:18 PM

The massive displacement crisis stemming from Syria’s ongoing conflict is increasingly visible from space. Satellite images on Google Earth reveal the growth of what in some cases looks like the emergence of whole new cities over the last two years.

A new project published today by one of our volunteers, Richard Cozzens, presents some of the most compelling images, providing a grim snapshot of the dire humanitarian situation in and around Syria. The satellite images show camps in the countries that are most affected by the influx of refugees, such as Turkey and Jordan. For example, what was an empty spot in the desert in September 2011 is now the huge refugee camp Zaatari in Jordan.

Despite this visibility, too many are closing their eyes: ”European leaders should hang their heads with shame over the pitifully low numbers of refugees from Syria they are prepared to resettle” states a new briefing published by Amnesty International last week.

The briefing, An international failure: The Syrian refugee crisis, details how European Union (EU) member states have only offered to open their doors to around 12,000 of the most vulnerable refugees from Syria: just 0.5 per cent of the 2.3 million people who have fled the country.

The numbers speak for themselves:

Only 10 EU member states offered resettlement or humanitarian admission places to refugees from Syria.
Germany is by far the most generous – pledging to take 10,000 refugees or 80 per cent of total EU pledges.
Excluding Germany, the remaining 27 EU member states have offered to take a mere 2,340 refugees from Syria.
France offered just 500 places or 0.02 per cent of the total number of people who have fled Syria.
Spain agreed to take just 30 or 0.001 per cent of refugees from Syria.
Eighteen EU member states – including the UK and Italy – offered no places at all.

EU member states should stop their inaction and significantly increase the number of resettlement and humanitarian admission places for refugees from Syria.

http://blog.amnestyusa.org/europe/massive-syrian-refugee-crisis-visible-from-space/#more-40056

[oberliner]

3. Seen estimates of over 1000 Palestinians killed in Syria

Hard to find completely reliable data, but that seems to be close to accurate.

[jessie04]

2. 20,000 Palestinians are basically in a outdoor prison in Syria.

Almost no food or water.

No medical care of any kind.

Syria doesn't care if they die.

Terrible.

[Mosby]

4. The Syrian Gov is stopping money transfers by Palestinians

Palestinians in Syria reportedly banned from receiving remittances

DAMASCUS (Ma'an) -- An employee of a money transfer service in Syria claimed that the Syrian government has issued a decision banning the sending of remittances to non-Syrians inside the country, a Palestinian organization said on Friday.

An employee of a Western Union branch inside Syria reportedly refused to deliver money to a Palestinian refugee after his relative abroad tried to send it to him, the Action Group for the Palestinians of Syria group said in a statement.

A Palestinian refugee from Syria currently living in Europe, identified only by his initials K.A., said that he was not allowed to transfer 50 thousand Syrian pounds ($300) to his relatives in Syria.

The employee at the Western Union in Syria claimed that the government issued a decision banning the workers of Western Union or any such branches to deliver any remittances to non-Syrians, the statement said.