UN VOICES CONCERN OVER 500,000 PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN SYRIA

UN VOICES CONCERN OVER 500,000 PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN SYRIA
New York, Jul 22 2012 12:10PM
The United Nations today expressed grave concern over the implications of the violence in Syria for the 500,000 Palestinian refugees across the country.

"The current situation in the Damascus neighbourhood of Yarmouk and in rural Damascus, home to both Syrian and Palestinian communities, is especially worrying," said the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in a statement.

UNRWA called on all parties to take steps to ensure the protection of Palestinian refugees and requested all parties to the conflict to "take measures, as required by international law, to preserve human life, to avoid forced displacement and to exercise the utmost restraint."

The agency emphasized that all parties must respect the neutrality of UN installations and of areas where refugees and other civilians reside, stating it is also concerned about the safety of UNRWA's staff, the s
ecurity of its facilities, and the access that refugees have to humanitarian assistance.

UNRWA appealed to the Syrian authorities to safeguard the security of Palestine refugees wherever they reside in the country and stressed that it will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves.
Jul 22 2012 12:10PM
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