Yarmouk ( ar, مُخَيَّم ٱلْيَرْمُوْك /
ALA-LC
ALA-LC (American Library AssociationLibrary of Congress) is a set of standards for romanization, the representation of text in other writing systems using the Latin script.
Applications
The system is used to represent bibliographic information by ...
: ', ) is a
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...
of the city of
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
, populated by
Palestinians
Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
, with hospitals and schools. It is located from the center of Damascus and within municipal boundaries (but not initially when established in 1957). Yarmouk is an "unofficial" refugee camp. Now depopulated, it was home to the largest
Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugees are citizens of Mandatory Palestine, and their descendants, who fled or were expelled from their country over the course of the 1947–49 Palestine war (1948 Palestinian exodus) and the Six-Day War (1967 Palestinian exodu ...
community in
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. As of June 2002, there were 112,550 registered refugees living in Yarmouk.
During the
Syrian Civil War, Yarmouk camp became the scene of
intense fighting in 2012 between the
Free Syrian Army
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) ( ar, الجيش السوري الحر, al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a loose faction in the Syrian Civil War founded on 29 July 2011 by officers of the Syrian Armed Forces with the goal of bringing down the govern ...
and the
PFLP-GC supported by Syrian Army government forces. The camp then was consequently taken over by various factions and was deprived of supplies, resulting in hunger, diseases and a high death rate, which caused many to leave. By the end of 2014, the camp population had gone down to just 20,000 residents.
In early April 2015, most of the Yarmouk camp was
overrun by the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic ter ...
, sparking armed clashes with Palestinian militia
Aknaf Bait al-Maqdis. At this point, the population was estimated at 18,000.
After intense fighting in April/May 2018, Syrian government forces took the camp, its population now reduced to 100-200.
History
Establishment
Yarmouk was established in 1957 on an area of to accommodate refugees who were squatters.
[ Though it was not officially recognized as a refugee camp, road signs leading to this sector of the city read "''Mukhayyam al-Yarmouk''", meaning "Yarmouk camp".][ Administratively, Yarmouk is a city (''madina'') in the ]Damascus Governorate
Damascus Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة دمشق ') is one of the fourteen Governorates of Syria, governorates (provinces) of Syria. Completely surrounded by the Rif Dimashq Governorate, it consists only of the city of Damascus, the capital of ...
.[Damascus governorate population 2004 census]
Operation and living
Over time, refugees living in Yarmouk improved and expanded their housing. Currently, the district was densely populated, with cement block homes and narrow streets. Two main roads named (Yarmouk street) and (Falasteen street) were lined with shops and filled with service taxis and microbuses that ran through the camp. The BBC wrote that, although Yarmouk "is identified as a camp, there are no tents or slums in sight. It is a residential area with beauty salons and internet cafes".["Lure of the homeland fades for Palestinian refugees,"]
Lina Sinjab, 24 August 2010, BBC News.
Living conditions in Yarmouk appeared to be better than in other Palestinian refugee camps in Syria, and residents of the camp numbered many professionals—doctors, engineers and civil servants, as well as many casual laborers and street vendors.
There were four hospitals and a number of government-run secondary schools. UNRWA
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...
operated 20 elementary schools and eight preparatory schools in the camp, and sponsors two women's program centers. There were three UNRWA health care centers in Yarmouk, two of which received upgrades in 1996 with contributions from the government of Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
. In 1997, six schools were upgraded with contributions from the government of the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, and a kindergarten was built with funds from the government of Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. In 1998, the UNRWA was also able to construct a health center funded by the government of the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. There was another Health Center whose expertise is devoted to prevention and treatment of thalassemia
Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders characterized by decreased hemoglobin production. Symptoms depend on the type and can vary from none to severe. Often there is mild to severe anemia (low red blood cells or hemoglobin). Anemia can resul ...
. The Center was built in 2009 thanks to funds provided by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation
The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) ( es, link=no, Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo) is a Spanish autonomous agency responsible for the management of the Government internationa ...
(AECID).
During the Syrian Civil War
During the Syrian Civil War, Yarmouk camp became the scene of intense fighting between the Free Syrian Army
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) ( ar, الجيش السوري الحر, al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a loose faction in the Syrian Civil War founded on 29 July 2011 by officers of the Syrian Armed Forces with the goal of bringing down the govern ...
and its Palestinian ally Liwa al-Asifa on the one hand, and the (PFLP-GC) supported by Syrian Army
" (''Guardians of the Homeland'')
, colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive
* Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki
, anniversaries = August 1st
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Six-D ...
government forces on the other. Subsequently, the Syrian Army besieged the camp, leading to many leaving the area and causing a significant deterioration in conditions for the more than 18,000 Palestinian refugees and other Syrians remaining inside the camp, whom the UN described as living in "complete deprivation".
On 1 April 2015, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic ter ...
(ISIL) fighters entered the camp from the Hajar al-Aswad
The Black Stone ( ar, ٱلْحَجَرُ ٱلْأَسْوَد, ', 'Black Stone') is a rock set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba, the ancient building in the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is revered by Muslims as an ...
district, sparking clashes with Aknaf Bait al-Maqdis and the Free Syrian Army
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) ( ar, الجيش السوري الحر, al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a loose faction in the Syrian Civil War founded on 29 July 2011 by officers of the Syrian Armed Forces with the goal of bringing down the govern ...
- reportedly with the collaboration of Jabhat al-Nusra
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
fighters in the camp, with whom they were then locally allied. ISIL initially took over much of the camp, but was later pushed back from some areas, before eventually regaining control. On April 2, it was reported that ISIL was pushed back, but they reentered on April 3; according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
, image = Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Logo.jpg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = The logo of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
, type = NGO
, founded_date =
, founder ...
, the April 3 ISIL attack resulted in 40 ISIL militants killed. By 4 April, the camp was reported to have been wholly taken by ISIL, and executions of residents to have begun. Palestinian sources reported about 12 camp residents killed, while the Syrian Network for Human Rights
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR, ar, الشبكة السورية لحقوق الإنسان) is a UK-based independent monitoring group,Chotiner, Isaac (May 13, 2019)"A Times Reporter Documents the Horror of Syria’s Torture Sites" ''T ...
reported 13 residents executed by ISIL on 5 April; and independent sources also confirmed two fatalities from mortar fire in an adjacent Damascus area. It was reported that despite Palestinian militia resistance and parallel bombing by the Syrian Air Force
)
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 16 October
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War
* Six-Day War
* Yom Kippur War
* ...
, ISIL still controlled 90% of the camp by 6 April. The situation in the camp came to the attention of the UN Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
, leading to discussions about the situation of some 18,000 residents of the occupied camp. It has been reported that many civilian Palestinians have been killed during the fighting.
In July 2015, the UN quietly removed Yarmouk from its list of besieged areas in Syria, despite not having been able to deliver aid there for four months, and declined to explain why it had done so.
By April 2016, there are only between 7,000 and 8,000 residents left in the camp due to militant fighting within the camp, conscription by the regime and the use of wide area effect weapons such as barrel bombs. Former residents are displaced to other areas of Syria or have fled outside, including Lebanon and Europe.
In early 2017, with Qatari mediation, the "Four Towns" truce was brokered between pro-government and Salafi factions, to end some of the ongoing sieges forming part of the conflict (see Siege of al-Fu'ah and Kafriya, Siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat
The siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat was launched by the Syrian Armed Forces in late 2012 after rebels took over most of the Damascus suburbs of Darayya and Muadamiyat al-Sham in November 2012. Since then, the power grid in the area was cut off a ...
) as well as to initiate a ceasefire in areas bordering Yarmouk. As a result of this deal, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) (, transliteration: ', "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant" or "Levant Liberation Committee"), commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham, is a Sunni Islamist political and armed organisation involved in the ...
fighters were evacuated from Yarmouk on 7 May, and ISIL fighters were also reported to be preparing to leave.[
]
End of the siege
On 19 April 2018, the Syrian government and its allies began a push to take Hajar al-Aswad, Tadamun and Beit Sahem, which make up the majority of Yarmouk, using surface-to-surface missiles, barrel and cluster bombs, and mortar fire in more than 580 air raids, with local activists reporting at least 15 civilians killed and more than 100 wounded.[Farah Najja]
Syria's Yarmouk camp: From a 'war on stomachs' to 'annihilation'
Al Jazeera, 24 Apr 2018 The offensive involved Aleppo-based Palestinian militia Liwa al-Quds
Liwa al-Quds ( ar, لواء القدس) or the Jerusalem Brigade is a predominantly Palestinian militia (brigade) that operates as a part of pro- Syrian government forces in the Syrian Civil War. It was formed in 2013 by the engineer Muhammad al- ...
, Russian-backed Tiger Forces
The 25th Special Mission Forces Division, mostly known by their former name Tiger Forces or Quwwat al-Nimr ( ar, قُوَّات النِّمْر), is an elite formation (special forces unit) of the Syrian Arab Army which functions primarily as ...
, National Defense Force (Syria)
The National Defence Forces (NDF) ( ar, قوات الدفاع الوطني ''Quwāt ad-Difāʿ al-Watanī'') is a pro-government militia, that was formed on 1 November 2012 and organized by the Syrian government during the Syrian Civil War as a ...
, a privately funded Palestinian militia, and Palestinian factions Fatah al-Intifada
Fatah al-Intifada ( ar, فتح الانتفاضة ''Fatah Uprising'') is a Palestinian militant faction founded by Col. Said al-Muragha, better known as Abu Musa. The group is often referred to as the Abu Musa Faction. Officially it refers to ...
and the (PFLP-GC). The UNRWA reported around 5,000 Palestinians from Yarmouk were displaced to Yalda in the following six days, leaving 1,200 residents, although local sources reported 2,500 families or 3,000 people[Estimated 60 percent of Yarmouk destroyed amid violence: Group](_blank)
Al-Jazeera, 27 April 2018 were still there. By 25 April, local sources said that at least 20 civilians had been killed.[Syria regime kills 20 civilians in Yarmouk refugee camp](_blank)
Middle East Monitor, 25 April 2018 The UN described the camp as "transformed into a death camp", reporting thousands of homes and the last functioning hospital destroyed. The UK-based Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said 60% of the camp had been destroyed in the government offensive by 27 April. On 30 April, al-Nusra's remaining fighters surrendered, and were evacuated by bus to Idlib. By 5 May, the Russian Ministry of Defense
The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (russian: Министерство обороны Российской Федерации, Минобороны России, informally abbreviated as МО, МО РФ or Minoboron) is the govern ...
announced that the Syrian army controlled two-thirds of the camp. On 16 May, a new pro-government assault on the camp with airstrikes and surface-to-surface missiles, with only a few hundred, mainly elderly, residents left inside; dozens of civilians and over 100 fighters on both sides were reported killed. On 19 May, Russian and pro-government sources reported a ceasefire between the government and ISIL, although this was denied by official government media, and busloads of ISIL fighters were reported to be evacuated by the government.[Seth Frantzma]
Catastrophic destruction as Syrian regime pounds Palestinian refugee camp
''Jerusalem Post'', 20 May
On 21 May, pro-government troops fully recaptured the camp, as ISIL fighters pulled out to deserts east of the city, thus allowing the Syrian Arab Army to control the capital after 6 years.[Osama Moussa and Tom Rollin]
Yarmouk, A Palestinian Tragedy Plays Out In Syria
Mada Masr, 24 May 2018[Syrian cleric condemns 'flagrant looting' after regime captured Yarmouk](_blank)
''Al-Araby'' 24 May 2018 In the month of fighting, a total of at least 21 civilians were reported killed, and 7,000 people—including 6,200 Palestinians—displaced from their homes. An UNRWA spokesman said 100 to 200 civilians were estimated to remain in Yarmouk. Sheikh Mohammed al-Omari, a cleric loyal to the government, condemned government troops and allied militias for looting homes in the captured neighborhood. According to ''The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
'', many Palestinians believe the government plans to redevelop Yarmouk for use by Syrians.[Syria is erasing the Palestinians’ largest refugee camp](_blank)
''The Economist'', May 3rd 2018
On April 3, 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
announced that the Russian army
The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Force ...
, in coordination with the Syrian military, had discovered the remains of missing Israeli soldier Zechariah Baumel, along with those of 20 other people, in a cemetery in the Yarmouk Camp. Baumel had gone missing after the Battle of Sultan Yacoub
The Battle of Sultan Yacoub was a battle between Syria and Israel during the 1982 Lebanon War, which occurred near the village of Sultan Yacoub in the Lebanese Bekaa, close to the borders with Syria.
Background
At the beginning of the invas ...
during the 1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...
and his whereabouts were unknown in the decades since. Baumel's remains were returned to Israel and buried in the Mount Herzl
Mount Herzl ( he, הַר הֶרְצְל ''Har Hertsl''), also ''Har ha-Zikaron'' ( lit. "Mount of Remembrance"), is the site of Israel's national cemetery and other memorial and educational facilities, found on the west side of Jerusalem beside ...
military cemetery in Jerusalem on April 4.
See also
*Khalil al-Wazir
Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir Standardized Arabic transliteration: '' / / '' ( ar, خليل إبراهيم الوزير, also known by his '' kunya'' Abu JihadStandardized Arabic transliteration: ' —"Jihad's Father"; 10 October 1935 – 16 April 1 ...
*Mustafa al-Hallaj
Mustafa al-Hallaj (1938 – 17 December 2002) ( ar, مصطفى الحلاج) was a Palestinian-born visual artist, primarily working as a graphic designer, painter, and printmaker. Al-Hallaj was a pioneer in the Arab art world, known as an "icon o ...
References
External links
Yarmouk
articles from UNWRA
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...
Palestinians at Yarmouk camp are forced to take sides in the Syrian conflict
Dunia Manzar, 11 February 2013
{{Authority control
Neighborhoods of Damascus
Palestinian refugee camps in Syria
1957 establishments in Syria
Populated places established in 1957