Clashes between IS, Jabhat al-Nusra spell despair for Yarmouk residents
Clashes between Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State militants in the Yarmouk refugee camp portend more despair for Palestinian residents, whose situation is already desperate.
The fighting that broke out between Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State in Syria's Yarmouk refugee camp two weeks ago is compounding the already dire situation for several thousand families still inside the camp and many more previously displaced to the surrounding areas of Yalda, Beit Saham and Babila. The fighting that erupted on April 7 in what was once Syria's largest Palestinian refugee camp has placed several thousand civilians amid the frontline clashes between the two militant groups.
Since July 2013, Yarmouk has been under seige by Syrian government forces, purportedly due to the presence of rebel factions inside the camp, resulting in civilian deaths from starvation and lack of medical supplies, according to a report by the UK-based Action Group for Palestinians from Syria. Hundreds of Palestinians were reportedly detained, disappeared or tortured to death by the security services. In April 2015, IS militants briefly gained control over much of Yarmouk, with the help of Jabhat al-Nusra, but the two jihadist groups have since turned against each other. Palestinian factions in the camp are divided between the pro- and anti-government camps.
Following the latest outbreak of fighting, activists created the hashtag #yarmoukcampisburning after IS reportedly began burning down civilian homes. The message in general, however, also communicated the longstanding sense among the activists that the plight of Yarmouk, which has seen bombardment, siege and jihadist occupation since 2012, has often unfolded without attracting significant interest from international media.
An April 18 statement by the Jafra Foundation, a local organization from Yarmouk that has been based outside the camp since IS entered Yarmouk last year, reported that civilians were facing "even more severe constraints" as a result of renewed fighting. "Families inside Yarmouk … are completely reliant on humanitarian organizations to provide them with their basic need," Jafra said. According to Jafra operations manager, Osama Moussa, sniper fire has killed at least seven civilians and wounded several others during the latest round of clashes. Among the dead are two children.
