Mission to support families who fled Yarmouk Camp

In support of UNRWA, UNICEF this week participated in two cross-line inter-agency missions to provide humanitarian assistance to families recently displaced from Yarmouk Camp.

Most of the families were displaced to these three locations: Yalda, Babila and Beit Saham about 10 KMs south of Damascus, according to a UNICEF statement distributed here Tuesday.

This is the first time UNICEF has been able to access this area for the past two years.

After crossing five checkpoints, UNICEF was able to deliver three trucks with 9,000 baby diaper kits, 1,500 new born kits and 2,800 kits of clothes for children.

Earlier today, UNICEF was also able to deliver five diarrhea kits enough to treat 3,000 cases, five midwifery kits – enough to support 250 normal deliveries, 300 boxes High-Energy Biscuits – for 1500 children under five, 150 boxes Plumpy Doz – enough to treat 1,350 malnutrition cases among children under five years old.

According to UNICEF staff who were on the convoys, it is estimated that 50,000 people live in these three locations in addition to about 2,500 mostly Palestinian refugee families who fled Yarmouk.

The humanitarian needs in these areas are dire. Water sources are contaminated and require treatment before distribution. Only 20% of the wells are functioning while electricity is only available for one hour/day. There is only one doctor in the area compared to 500 before the crisis. Prices of basic commodities are four-five times higher.

Community leaders met by UNICEF expressed the need for safe water, diapers, rehabilitation of schools, medical care, medicines and antibiotic drugs, vaccines and food.

This convoy is a cross-line convoy. UNICEF has been able to undertake only seven cross-line convoys this year.

UNICEF is planning additional convoys to these areas to continue responding to the needs in these areas.