Yarmouk Situation Update (Issue No. 20) – UNRWA update

YARMOUK SITUATION UPDATE 20

23 April 2015

23 April 2015 Issue No. 20

UNRWA continues to seek secure and unhindered access to Yarmouk itself and stands ready to expand the response in the case of further displacement from the area. The Director of UNRWA Affairs for Syria, Michael Kingsley-Nyinah, visited Yalda, Babila and Beit Saham today, meeting with displaced civilians, host communities and local leader.

UNRWA continued to deliver humanitarian assistance in these areas, providing water, jerry cans and equipment to establish high-capacity community kitchens. Humanitarian activities continue in Tadamoun, to the north-east.

HIGHLIGHTS

• UNRWA successfully continued humanitarian response operations today, providing 20,000 litres of drinking water to displaced civilians and host communities in Babila and Yalda. The mission also provided 1,200 bags of bread and equipment that will be used to establish a high-capacity community kitchen in Yalda and strengthen an existing kitchen in Babila.

• UNRWA medical personnel established a mobile health point, treating 181 patients over the course of the day. Three cases of hepatitis A were detected and treated. Medical personnel continue to observe malnutrition among some patients.

• UNRWA is now working in every neighbouring area to the east and south-east of Yarmouk – Yalda, Babila and Beit Saham. There will be a pause in operations tomorrow, Friday, as agreed with the local communities.

• Those receiving assistance are comprised of Palestinian and Syrian families displaced or affected by conflict, plus host communities. UNRWA missions deliver a broad range of critical humanitarian materials to each of these families, including food, medical supplies, water purification treatments, mattresses, blankets, family kitchen sets and hygiene kits.

• UNRWA continues to provide humanitarian assistance to the civilians from Yarmouk who remain displaced in Tadamoun, an area on the north-eastern periphery. The Agency is also providing daily hot lunches for all civilians, complemented by regular distribution of canned food.

• The UNRWA mission met with local religious, political, community leaders and the Local Relief Committee in Beit Saham, Babila and Yalda who, in addition to the Syrian authorities, played a critical and welcome role in continuing to expand the humanitarian response.

• These ongoing operations represent sustained demonstration of UNRWA’s commitment to providing essential assistance to all civilians affected by the crisis in Yarmouk. UNRWA’s priority remains the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians within Yarmouk itself and reiterates its strong demand for all parties to respect and comply with their obligations to protect civilians and to establish of secure conditions under which the Agency can deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance.

• The vulnerability of civilians in Yarmouk remains of the highest severity. UNRWA is deeply concerned that without access, the most basic humanitarian needs of up to 18,000 Palestinian and Syrian civilians, including 3,500 children, continue to be left unmet.

UNRWA PREPAREDNESS

• UNRWA mobilized its emergency response team on April 1^st to develop a range of response scenarios, including large displacements to areas where UNRWA does not currently have access.

• UNRWA works closely with partners and UN Agencies to mobilize resources for a large-scale humanitarian response to support the civilians of Yarmouk.

• UNRWA has prepositioned stocks of food, mattresses, blankets, and hygiene kits to respond to the most urgent needs as soon as access is granted.

• UNRWA is working rapidly with all partners to assess the situation of the displaced civilians to the south east of Yarmouk, in Yalda, Babela and Beit Saham and respond to their most pressing needs.

CALL FOR SUPPORT

• As violence continues to profoundly threaten the lives and safety of Palestine refugees throughout Syria, UNRWA appeals for donors to increase their support to the Agency’s Emergency Appeal.

• The capacity of the Agency to sustain life-saving emergency interventions, whilst responding immediately to urgent developments such as the one impacting Yarmouk since April 1^st, is undermined by chronic underfunding for humanitarian interventions inside Syria.

• More than 95% of Palestine refugees now rely on UNRWA to meet their daily needs of food, water and healthcare.

• Priority interventions include cash assistance which enables UNRWA to access up to 470,000 Palestine refugees in need, including up to 39,500 currently living in hard to reach areas. This intervention will run out of funding after the distribution of second round of cash assistance in June.

• Additional funding is also required for critical non-food items including blankets, mattresses and hygiene kits for displaced Palestine refugee families throughout Syria

http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/emergency-reports/yarmouk-situation-update-20