The Destruction of Yarmouk


In a time when most are obsessing over the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, many ignore the plight of the Palestinians who suffer in Arab Lands, places the the Palestinian Refugee Camp of Yarmouk in Syria.  Prior to the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, over 160,000 Palestinians lived in Yarmouk, and an additional 100,000 Syrians lived in the area.  By the year 2013, the Syrian Civil War turned the Camp into a War Zone.  Palestinians within the Camp began to chose sides, some joining Assad, while others joined various rebel groups.  This quickly led to the Palestinian Community of the Camp turning against each other.


With so much in-fighting, it was only a matter of time before ISIS and Assad's forces moved in.  Assad sought to crust the rebels permanently and repeatedly subjected the Camp to air attacks.  By 2015, ISIS took over, killing thousands and enacting harsh Sharia Law upon what remained of the populace, which has only served to increase Assad's bombing campaign.  The Camp population had been over 160,000 in 2011, now it is down to less than 6,000.  The destruction of Yarmouk serves as an illustration to the fate that is befalling Palestinians throughout Syria.  At the beginning of the war, over 500,000 Palestinians resided in Syria.  Since then, over 120,000 have fled to other countries.  Since the beginning of the war, nearly 4,000 Palestinians in Syria have lost their lives, and another 1600 are in prison.  So why is it that the world obsesses over Israel defending its borders as they are stormed by Hamas supporters, but is silent as Assad and ISIS slaughter thousands of innocent Palestinians?  


Sources:

Al-Khalidi, Suleiman.  "Syrian Army Closes in on Palestinian Refugee Camp held by ISIS Militants."  Global News.  April 29th, 2016.  Accessed from  

Roth, Andrew.  "Syrian Army Bombards Yarmouk Refugee Camp in Damascus."  The Irish Times.  April 20th, 2018.  Accessed from https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/syrian-army-bombards-yarmouk-refugee-camp-in-damascus-1.3468579.

Sanchez, Raf.  "Palestinan Refugee Camp in Syrian Turns 'Unimaginably Brutal' as Assad Regime drives ISIL out of Yarmouk.  The Telegraph.  April 26th, 2018.  Accessed from 

"Syria is Erasing the Palestinians Largest Refugee Camp."  The Economist.  May 3rd, 2018.  Accessed from https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2018/05/03/syria-is-erasing-the-palestinians-largest-refugee-camp. 

"UNRWA: 3,500 Palestinian Refugees Flee Syria's Yarmouk Camp.  Al Jazeera.  April 28th, 2018.  Accessed from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/unrwa-3500-palestinian-refugees-flee-syria-yarmouk-camp-180428125645986.html. 

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