On Monday, a report by Amnesty International denounced the siege on the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk in Damascus by Assad’s forces. So far, about 130 persons have died of hunger.
On the outskirts of Damascus, the Yarmouk neighbourhood has become a symbol of the suffering that civilians have experienced in the Syrian conflict. This area is populated mostly by Palestinian refugees, and has been under siege for months by the Syrian army.
The regime is attempting to extricate rebels who gained control of the impoverished suburb of Damascus 15 months ago. In a report released on March 10, Amnesty International condemned the atrocious “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” that have been on-going since the start of the siege; Since July 2013, the siege has caused nearly 200 deaths, 128 of them died of starvation.
The report discloses that 20 000 civilians are still living there, where 60% suffer of malnutrition due continuing battles between the regime and the rebels.
In addition to the siege, Amnesty International adds that the Syrian army has repeatedly attacked civilian buildings in the area through air raids or heavy artillery, including schools and hospitals.
According to Amnesty International’s investigation, doctors and medical staff are also targeted as a dozen of were arrested and six others have disappeared after being captured by government forces.
The Moroccan Times.
