Palestinians test second Nakba as Syria's crisis continues

(Translation by Yusra Ahmed)

Sources reported to Zaman al-Wasl that Syrian regime’s militias demand money and bribery from Palestinian people to let them crossing barriers of the Syrian regime to reach to Turkey via Aleppo’s and Idlib countryside. 

Sources mentioned that cost for letting one person through a barrier reached to 25 thousand Syrian pound.

Crisis of Palestinian people started with the beginning of the Syrian revolution, but it reached to the highest levels after the siege forced on yarmouk Camp for Palestinian refugees in 2012, which is considered one of the toughest siege in recent history, where people found nothing to eat apart from dogs, cats, tree leaves and rodents. Moreover, prices for basic materials like bread, flour and rice reached to shocking levels. 177 people died of hunger in Yarmouk camp according to the General Commission of the Palestinian-Syrian Refugees in Gaziantep. 

“Consequences of the second Palestinian disaster are increasing, while the international community keeps watching the destruction and the war crimes for more than 4 years. If the situation stayed like this, the future of 540 thousand of Palestinian people in Syria would be lost, while two thirds of Palestinians’ camps were almost completely destroyed and 300 thousand were forcefully displaced”, Ayman Fihmi Abo hashim, Head of the General Commission of the Palestinian-Syrian Refugees, explained to Zaman al-Wasl.

Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugees had had the toughest circumstances, from siege to shelling and air strikes in 2012, which led to displacing about 160 thousand people and 177 people died of hunger, the number of Palestinian people who escaped Syria reached to 80 thousand, mainly in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, according to the Working group for Palestinians in Syria. 

The group mentioned that 27933 Palestinian people had reached Europe coming from Syria in the last 4 years, while 3500 one drowned and died. Moreover, it reported that 875 Palestinians were detained and 393 died under torture in regime’s prisons. 

Abo Hashim explained that available numbers are still underestimating the real situation, as big number of Palestinians escape Syria and entered Turkey illegally.

Abo Hashim explained that difficulties are now facing the General Commission of the Palestinian-Syrian Refugees to deliver services to Palestinian people, either refugees outside or displaced inside Syria. The main reason according to Abo Hashim is stopping support and fund for the Interim Government, besides lack of cooperation and compliance of countries where refugees live. 

The fund’s restriction has coincided with restricting aid and relief for Palestinians inside Syria, as the United Nations for Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) has stopped the housing support of $100 for more than 1100 families used to benefit from. Besides reduction in levels of teaching and health service for Palestinian inside Syria under claims of lack of fund from supporting countries.

Head of the General Commission of the Palestinian-Syrian Refugees ended explaining that Palestinians’ suffering is not restricted to Syria, as the humanitarian conditions of tens of thousands of them in surrounding countries like Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt are unbearable and getting worse. 

“it seems that a hidden agenda against Palestinians is being implemented to harden their lives, for example, there are 44 thousand Palestinians in Lebanon, but the Lebanese government keeps changing rules for entry, leave to remain or even work for them. While in Jordan, Palestinians are clearly banned from entering the country since 2012, although 10 thousand Palestinian refugees live there but stay away and keep hiding, fearing of deportation back to Syria. Egypt government has banned Palestinians’ entry to the country in 2013" the Commission's head detailed.

Abo Hashim mentioned that an unprecedented case, the Turkish government had deported 12 Palestinian refugees to Syria despite 9 thousands of them live there. In the end the Gulf countries put difficult rules against Palestinians entry to their countries. 

All those obstacles, forced Palestinians to seek risky and dangerous journeys via sea to reach to Europe, hoping of respectful and secure life.