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| Crisis in Palestinian Camp in Syria Has Worsened Since ISIS Invasion, U.N. Says | Crisis in Palestinian Camp in Syria Has Worsened Since ISIS Invasion, U.N. Says |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| UNITED NATIONS — Relief officials at the United Nations expressed alarm on Monday about a deepening humanitarian disaster in Syria’s Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, which was invaded last week by Islamic State militants and their allies. | |
| Roughly 18,000 people, including 3,500 children, have been trapped by fighting in Yarmouk, which is on the southern outskirts of the capital, Damascus, and is less than 10 miles from the presidential palace. | Roughly 18,000 people, including 3,500 children, have been trapped by fighting in Yarmouk, which is on the southern outskirts of the capital, Damascus, and is less than 10 miles from the presidential palace. |
| Pierre Krähenbühl, commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which administers aid to Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, said the residents were slowly starving. | Pierre Krähenbühl, commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which administers aid to Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, said the residents were slowly starving. |
| He gave an emergency briefing on the crisis Monday to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council via video link from Amman, Jordan. | He gave an emergency briefing on the crisis Monday to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council via video link from Amman, Jordan. |
| Speaking to reporters later, Mr. Krähenbühl said the situation was “more desperate than ever for civilians inside Yarmouk.” | Speaking to reporters later, Mr. Krähenbühl said the situation was “more desperate than ever for civilians inside Yarmouk.” |
| He has limited options. He said he was not speaking directly to representatives of the Islamic State, and it was not entirely clear who wields influence over their leaders. | He has limited options. He said he was not speaking directly to representatives of the Islamic State, and it was not entirely clear who wields influence over their leaders. |
| He called on the Security Council and all United Nations members with influence on the combatants to exert pressure on them to halt the fighting and allow the agency to deliver food, water and medicine to Yarmouk. The camp has been shut off from all outside aid for the past week and has been intermittently isolated for the past two years. | He called on the Security Council and all United Nations members with influence on the combatants to exert pressure on them to halt the fighting and allow the agency to deliver food, water and medicine to Yarmouk. The camp has been shut off from all outside aid for the past week and has been intermittently isolated for the past two years. |
| Residents have been subsisting on roughly 400 calories a day, Mr. Krähenbühl said, and need at least 2,000. He said their basic daily preoccupation now is “bare survival.” | Residents have been subsisting on roughly 400 calories a day, Mr. Krähenbühl said, and need at least 2,000. He said their basic daily preoccupation now is “bare survival.” |
| The ability of the United Nations to help the people of Yarmouk, he said, is “a test of the entire international system.” | The ability of the United Nations to help the people of Yarmouk, he said, is “a test of the entire international system.” |
| Yarmouk, once the biggest enclave of Palestinian refugees in Syria, has been increasingly entangled in the four-year-old civil war. Its invasion by the Islamic State militants, who not only oppose President Bashar al-Assad but have also been battling other insurgent factions, was the closest they have come to the capital. | Yarmouk, once the biggest enclave of Palestinian refugees in Syria, has been increasingly entangled in the four-year-old civil war. Its invasion by the Islamic State militants, who not only oppose President Bashar al-Assad but have also been battling other insurgent factions, was the closest they have come to the capital. |
| Mr. Krähenbühl said he could not confirm reports by Middle Eastern news agencies that Islamic State fighters had beheaded some Yarmouk captives. He said “a few hundred” residents had escaped in the past few days. | Mr. Krähenbühl said he could not confirm reports by Middle Eastern news agencies that Islamic State fighters had beheaded some Yarmouk captives. He said “a few hundred” residents had escaped in the past few days. |
| Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the agency, said earlier Monday by telephone from his office in Jerusalem that Yarmouk residents were terrified of venturing out of doors. | Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the agency, said earlier Monday by telephone from his office in Jerusalem that Yarmouk residents were terrified of venturing out of doors. |
| “The situation in Yarmouk has descended into lower levels of inhumanity.” Mr. Gunness said. “There’s conflict raging in the streets outside.” | “The situation in Yarmouk has descended into lower levels of inhumanity.” Mr. Gunness said. “There’s conflict raging in the streets outside.” |
| Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, said Monday that a Palestinian Red Crescent Society hospital in Yarmouk had been hit by a missile, which wounded at least three medical workers and heavily damaged the building. Wafa also reported that e Islamic State fighters had taken control of 90 percent of the camp. | Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, said Monday that a Palestinian Red Crescent Society hospital in Yarmouk had been hit by a missile, which wounded at least three medical workers and heavily damaged the building. Wafa also reported that e Islamic State fighters had taken control of 90 percent of the camp. |