Pro-rebel or loyal to the Assad regime? The Palestinians in Syria tell about themselves

Written by the “Palestinians in syrian situation” union in Yarmouk camp, Damascus – VERSIONE ITALIANA

PALESTINIANS IN SYRIA. Palestinian Refugees in Syria are distributed into 13 separate camps and 20 Palestinian residential compounds. Official numbers and statistics of Palestinian refugees in Syria issued by UNRWA and the General Commission for Palestinian Arab Refugees (GCPAR) are considered as a representative of their minimum numbers.

The most recent statistics released by UNRWA early in 2012, showed that Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA totaled at 487,000 refugees. This number is, as mentioned, the minimum due to the non-representation of refugees fleeing to Syria during 1956, 1967, 1970-1971.

After the beginning of the Syrian conflict, the Palestinians, in most of the cities, found themselves in the middle due to social and geographical relations and bonds among them and the Syrians.

The Palestinian camps became a shelter for Syrian, wounded people and Internally Displaced People due to the Palestinian long tradition in civil society organisations and the strong community bonds. In addition to that, one should notice that the location of the camps and gatherings is at the most low socioeconomic areas of Syria. As the uprising begun in these areas, it was fated to “touch” the Palestinian society, as population from the affected areas was seeking shelter inside the camps.

THE CONFLICT INVADES THE CAMPS. For a long period, the camps were considered a safe haven as Palestinians stayed on the sidelines. This was up to some months ago when Palestinian camps became a conflict target for several reasons, naming a few:

* The strategy of the Syrian regime to attack any humanitarian and relief work and the people involved in it;

* Attempts by the Syrian regime and its security services to diffuse the crisis by slamming protests and uprising on external elements until they can eliminate them;

* The pro-Syrian regime stand by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), led by Ahmed Jibril, in contrary to the other Palestinian factions, which preferred to adopt neutrality in dealing with the Syrian regime (as they do with all the Arab regimes);

* Palestinians vulnerable status as refugees;

* The increasing number of civilian victims, destruction of whole residential areas/regions and intensification of the war;

* The significance/importance, from all sides involved in this war, to involve actively the Palestinian society.

THE REPRESSION. Since July 2012, Palestinian Camps are attacked by the Syrian regime on a daily basis with several ways, mostly armed. Especially Yarmouk Camp, the capital of the Palestinian community in Syria, with documented Palestinian refugees more than 150.000, has seen destruction, killings, detaining and imprisonment, shelling and bombings. Places that are attacked are residential areas, schools that function as shelters and hospitals…

There are documented 790 Palestinians killed up to now and most of them are killed by shelling and bombings and not from direct bullets during protests and crossfire.

Their proportion is similar to that of the Syrians and their percentage is the highest among minorities in Syria.

The infrastructure in the camps has been damaged significantly, electricity outages are affecting mostly Palestinian populations (no explanation logic other they don’t receive same respect for their living conditions as Syrians) with cuts that exceed 20 hours in a row, diesel and gas are out, food shortages are more than evident and, in specific, bread is scarce, medical supplies are in serious deficit, telecommunications and internet services are mostly out, prices are higher than ever and unemployment has reached more than 50% (not including all businesses that have closed due to the risks while being open/operating).

Yarmouk Camp, that has become the main venue for Syrian IDPs that evacuate their areas to escape violence, has become a main target for the Syrian regime. It is evident that whoever offers relief work is an enemy (On the 23rd of March 2011, the first Palestinian that killed in Daraa was while providing first aid to wounded Syrian in Daraa al Mahata town).

Yarmouk Camp, since July 2012, when the war and attacks intensified, has received and provided shelter to more than 50.000 displaced people, most of them Syrian. Local associations, with limited resources, have come together to offer relief and comfort to these people irrespective of the danger and great risks, as well as the killing of their own people, with high percentage, among them, of children and women.

The last “incident” in Yarmouk Camp it was on the 16th of December where MIG warplanes bombed an area located at the heart of the camp, where schools and Abdel Qader mosque are located. 25 people were martyred instantly. This number is the official one communicated through the mainstream mass media. Unfortunately the number exceeds the 100, as there was a big number of unidentified corps and the bodies was scattered to pieces.

Following this attack, continuing shelling and violent clashes took place. More than half of the population evacuated the camp the following two days. The humanitarian situation became worse as all hospitals (due to absence of medical supplies and staff) and all shops suspended their operation. In addition to that, and as FSA took control of the area, civilians are subject to shooting by snipers that are stationed in the entrances and the surroundings of the camp by the Syrian regime. Remaining civilians are blocked and displaced ones are accommodated in temporary shelters in other areas of Damascus under very hard circumstances…

And this is just the beginning….