There are many Syrian people suffering because of starvation tactics against civilians as a weapon of war by the Syrian government, according to the human rights group Amnesty International.
BBC.Com/News has reported that a minimum of 128 refugees have actually died at a besieged Yarmouk camp in Damascus because of this. They’re saying thousands of people are still trapped in there and facing a “catastrophic humanitarian crisis.”
Families are risking their lives to forage for food in the streets according to Amnesty.
Aljazeera.Com reported that the UN’s independent Commission of Inquiry has said, “Syrians are being denied food and basic necessities as medical care, humanitarian aid, and they’re being forced to choose between surrender and starvation.”
In my opinion this is causing the suffering of small babies, children and adults through the means of “starve and submission campaign.” This is a horrendous act against innocent people who cannot defend themselves or their families. There are more than 250,000 people who are being held under siege in Syria, according to the commission; and there’s been a report which covers a litany of war crimes against humanity which is being carried out by both sides in July of last year to January 20, 2014.
It’s my opinion that “no-one” on this earth would agree to these type tactics against innocent people? There has to be a way to save them and their families from the cruel treatments of starvation and submission to something they do not agree with. Is this type treatment necessary to accomplish what a government wants? Innocent people and their families should receive their humanitarian rights regardless. It’s hard for other Nations to see this type of treatment to people because in most cases, regardless of what a government or person does to another…they will “keep” their beliefs.
A total of 20,000 people have been trapped in the Yarmouk refugee camp without the necessary medical supplies and food requirement to make it through their days in the camp, according to the AFP news agency.
There have also been reports of fresh fighting on the edges of the camp.
There are approximately 17,000 – 20,000 Palestinian and Syrian refugees housed at the Yarmouk camp where some of the worst fighting has been reported in the capital.
There has reportedly been “no” electricity since April 2013 and the majority of hospitals have had to close down because of running out of medical supplies.
Philip Luther, Amnesty’s Middle East director says, “There are traumatic accounts of families opting to eat dogs and cats to prevent starvation and for those people who have to scour the streets for food turns into horror stories of violence against them.”
Mr. Luther has described the siege as “collective punishment” of the civilian population and has called on the Syrian government to allow humanitarian agencies an immediate access to the camp.
Residents have reported to the Amnesty they’ve not had fruits and vegetables for months to eat and that at least 60% of the people in Yarmouk suffers from malnutrition. Yarmouk was originally created as a refuge for the Palestinians who fled the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and becoming a focus for heavy fighting in Damascus in late 2012 as opposition fighters moved in.
There were 20,000 people trapped inside Yarmouk after the government forces cut it off in July of last year; but a majority of the 180,000 Palestinians were able to flee the biggest community in Syria prior to the government forces cutting it off.
The UN Security Council agreed last month to a resolution calling for “all” parties involved in this conflict to lift its sieges immediately; but this has failed to improve the situation of the besieged civilians.
There were some aid deliveries made by the UN but they were halted when a truce between rebels and pro-government Palestinian militants in the camp broke down.
It’s my opinion we need to pray for these innocent people that provisions will be provided to them and a resolution of these problems be resolved immediately.
Article written by Barbara Kasey Smith based on news reports from the following sources.
Sources:
1. Aljazeera.com/news
2. Bbc.com/news