UN agency deplores deadly violence in Palestinian refugee camp in Syria

The United Nations agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees on Monday called on all parties in Syria to stop the violence in refugee camps and other civilian areas in the country. "Reports from Dera'a of the further loss of Palestinian lives are deeply distressing," said Michael Kingsley-Nyinah, the director of UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Syria. "UNRWA repeats its calls on all parties to desist from conducting armed conflict in Palestine refugee camps and other civilian areas and to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law." Initial reports indicate that on Saturday, the Dera'a Palestine refugee camp was directly affected by intensive armed conflict, which left seven refugees killed and 15 others injured. As a result of the fighting, UNRWA's Primary Health Care Center and Women's Programme Centre sustained heavy damage, UNRWA said in a press release. The Dera'a Health Center was reconstructed and fully re- equipped with donation funds in June 2008. Prior to the conflict, the center offered a wide range of health services to more than 25, 000 Palestine refugees residing in Dera'a camp and the surrounding areas. The ongoing conflict in Syria has forced many refugees to seek safety outside the camp and for many months had prevented the health center from functioning normally, said the news release. The agency appealed to all sides and to the international community "to urgently resolve the Syria conflict through a peaceful process of mediation and dialogue," saying that the conflict is aggravating the already severe human suffering endured by Syrians and Palestinians alike. Despite extreme challenges, UNRWA continues to support some 420, 000 Palestine refugees in Syria with health care, primary education, cash transfers, food assistance, psycho-social support access to micro-finance and other humanitarian services. More than 100,000 people have reportedly been killed since a political crisis broke out in Syria in March 2011. More than 2 million people have fled the country and 4.5 million have been internally displaced. The international community is still seeking a political solution to end the conflict. The joint special representative for the UN and the Arab League, Lakdhar Brahimi, on Monday met with United States Secretary of State John Kerry in London, Britain, and reiterated the urgency of convening the so called "Geneva II" conference which would bring all parties to the negotiating table.